BUDGET-BATTERED councillors at County Hall have agreed a four per cent council tax hike with cuts of £26m.

One of the high-profile casualties in yesterday’s (thurs) financial juggling exercise in Exeter was the county’s lollipop patrols.

A protest from parents outside the debating chamber fell on deaf ears as the service was duly axed, saving Devon £250,000 a year.

Objectors accused the council of playing with children’s lives by dropping the provision. One angry mum complained: ‘The decision-makers themselves have said they have a duty to protect the old, the young and the vulnerable. Who is younger and more vulnerable than children crossing the street?’

Members agreed to further discuss the contentious issue at next month’s scrutiny committee.

Altogether 36 members agreed the maximum council tax rise while 20 voted against.

The increase amounts to a 1.99 per cent rise in council tax and a further two per cent specifically for the funding of adult social care. The cost to an average Band D property owner will be just short of £50 a year.