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Lollipop lady Brenda, 85, on patrol – rain or shine

BBC An elderly lady wearing a high-vis uniform holding her lollipop next to the zebra crossing she has worked on for 40 yearsBBC
Brenda Gunther says she is looking forward to decorating her house and travelling more now she has retired

An 85-year-old lollipop lady has retired after 40 years of service.

Brenda Gunther started on the school crossing patrol in Goole, East Yorkshire, in 1985 as a favour for a friend who went on holiday for a week, "to stop her from being sacked".

On her last day, she was presented with flowers, a framed certificate and a surprise round of applause by the local community and the town's mayor.

Brenda said her most memorable moments included breaking up a fight between children with her lollipop stick and looking after their sweets while they where at school so they did not get in trouble.

'I loved their smiles'

She told the BBC: "It's been good really. Kids are great.

"When I first started, the lads on bikes sometimes used to fight and I'd get in between them and say 'No you don't'."

Brenda said she carried on with her job for as long as she did because she "loved the kids' smiles and loved the friendliness".

Reminiscing about when she when she first started, she said: "The kids couldn't take sweets to school so I'd look after them until they came home."

A firefighter sitting in the driver's seat of a fire engine, looking through the window, which is down, and smiling
Brenda helped firefighter Josh Middleton cross the road when he was a child

Firefighters from Humberside Fire and Rescue attended on her last day to thank Brenda for her work.

Josh Middleton, a firefighter from Goole, said: " The consistency she's had throughout the years is amazing. Everybody knows her – parents, children and grandparents."

He added: "It's been nice knowing she was always going to be there. [It] didn't matter if it was raining or what the weather was."

In a statement, East Riding of Yorkshire Council said: "We wish Brenda all the very best for her retirement and thank her for her dedication to ensuring safety of pupils in Goole."

Brenda and her grandson Paul standing next to the zebra crossing where she worked for 40 years
Paul Gunther, 43, Brenda's grandson, said her last day at work had been a rollercoaster of emotions

Paul and other family members including Brenda's husband Eric, 91 went to the zebra crossing to support her on her final shift.

Eric also worked as a lollipop man between 1993 and 2007.

He said they were known as the "lollipop couple".

"She's enjoyed what she's done over the years," he said. "I'm proud of our lass."

Paul added: "It takes a lot for someone to come out in all weathers to keep kids in this community safe, but it's time she settles down and has her time now."

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