DANGEROUS drivers who ignore school crossing wardens will be caught on high tech lollipop-cams prior to prosecution.

Dudley Council is the first West Midlands authority to arm staff with the mini-mobile cameras mounted on the familiar hand-held poles.

The cameras, which point in two directions and can capture car details including registration plates, have been introduced at hotspots where motorists regularly put children in danger by refusing to stop at school crossings.

Councillor Angus Adams, Dudley cabinet member for transportation, said: “Thankfully, the vast majority of motorists respect the authority of the school crossing patrol wardens and stop when requested to do so. However an increasing minority of drivers continue to flout the law and fail to stop.

“Make no mistake, the stop sign is a legal instruction. Ignore it and you are breaking the law and you will be prosecuted.

“Dudley Council’s investment in this new technology shows its determination to deal with the few irresponsible drivers who continue to put our children and staff at unnecessary risk. The cameras will be placed at key sites across the borough on a rolling programme.”

Over the past 12 months in Dudley borough there have been 14 reported problems from lollipop wardens to the council, including eight near misses where cars have failed to stop, five cases of violent or verbal abuse and one minor incident.

The new high resolution colour cameras, which are capable of recording and storing four hours of footage, will act as a deterrent to drivers failing to obey the legally binding stop sign.

The cameras are expected to go live for the first time in October, after staff have been fully trained in how to use them.

The footage is date and time stamped and will only be viewed if an incident is reported by a warden at the end of a shift.

The storage device is encoded so cannot be viewed without the necessary equipment and the correct authentication.