A LOLLIPOP man has been praised for saving a five-year-old boy from a 'horrific' collision with a van.

Kevin Robinson, 73, pulled Max Machin from danger at the St Andrew's Road crossing after a white van almost hit him on Friday morning.

The heroic lollipop man has been thanked by Bridport Primary School staff and Max's parents, after acting instinctively to save the reception pupil.

"I didn't give it a second thought" said Kevin. "I just put the stick down and pulled him out of the way.

"It could have been very nasty. He was quite shaken up by the whole thing, but I guess it could have been a lot worse."

Kevin thinks it can be a dangerous stretch of road during busy periods.

He said: "A lot of drivers don't really want to stop, but most of them do.

"Some of the speeds that people come tearing down here can be quite dangerous and it is a very busy road for children to cross."

Max's father, Luke Machin praised Kevin's actions and called on drivers to use common sense.

"We were very shocked by the whole thing, but just glad that Max was fine because as parents we often have very little control over what happens here" he said.

"We're very grateful for what Kevin did and it shows what an important job it is. It is a very busy road and we hope drivers would respect the traffic laws and use common sense, especially when children are involved."

Debbie Brown, headteacher at Bridport Primary School praised Kevin's quick-thinking and appealed to drivers to put a child's life before getting to work a few minutes earlier.

"Kevin reacted superbly putting out his lollipop stick and pushing Max out of harms way," said Mrs Brown.

"Max was incredibly shaken as was his mum. Kevin was unhurt but thank goodness for his quick response to a situation that witnesses said would have been quite horrific if he hadn't been so observant.

"This is not the first time driving on this road has been so dangerous and once again the school appeals to all drivers to be aware of children crossing this busy road. It is not beyond anyone's ability to slow down for a few moments to allow youngsters to cross safely. "Have we really got to the point that a child's life is less important than arriving somewhere a few minutes late?"

Kevin is retiring at the end of next week, handing over the reins in September.

"Getting up on a dank and miserable January morning has lost its appeal" said Kevin.

"It's quite an important job and I will miss the kids and the funny things they always come out with."