A dedicated community hero has pulled up her walking bus for schoolchildren at its final stop.

Gosfield resident Fiona Martin has been helping to keep school children fit and safe for five years supervising them on their way to school.

Ms Martin, who also volunteers at Gosfield’s village shop and helps the parish council, is hoping someone else will step into the driving seat with her son Alfie moving onto Ramsey Academy in September.

Her walking bus snaked its way around the village on its way to Gosfield Community Primary School with dozens of children kept safe on their way to school.

She said: “I volunteered to do it when the headteacher asked for help getting the children to school safely.

“Parents drop their kids off at the park and I walk with them the whole way.

“I used to have about 18 children at one time but when the lollipop lady left it wasn’t safe to have that many anymore.”

Ms Martin is believed to have conducted about 1,000 walking buses with her “passengers” only missing 15 school mornings during the course of the past five years.

Parents and children gathered together to join her on her final walk before the Easter break and applaud her incredible efforts for the community and for their children.

Among those showing their gratitude was parent Eibhlinn Dineen.

She said: “Every morning come rain, shine and snow she meets the children at the park, keeps an eye on them and the walks the children to the primary school.

“The children and parents of Gosfield want to say a huge thank you to Fiona Martin for providing the walking bus service for the past five years.”

Ms Martin is now urging someone else to come forward and volunteer to help run the walking bus scheme.

She added: “It would be nice to see someone else take it on.

“Six of my group are going to leave in the summer so it seemed like a natural way to bring it to an end.”