Dozy parkers

A leaflet promoting safer parking during the school run in parts of the Fens was launched on Tuesday.

Launched by police officers outside Terrington St Clement Community School, it aims to inform parents about the laws relating to parking near schools, both to protect children's safety and keep the peace between local people and drivers.

The Parking Around Schools leaflet, offers a useful list of dos and don'ts for motorists.

It was designed by Linda Forder, public inquiry officer with the western area mobile police station (MPS), after listening to complaints of traffic congestion and thoughtless parking during school start and finish times in nearly every village across the area.

She said: "The complaints were largely related to inconsiderate parking, such as people abandoning cars in awkward places, and from elderly residents, who were made late for hospital appointments because someone had parked across their driveway."

The leaflet will be distributed via the MPS and schools, and will also be available from police public inquiry offices.

The advice includes keeping driveways and school entrances clear and, where possible, using a car park or parking away from the school.

Josie Barnett, senior travel plan officer, said: "It is important that parents and carers are especially safety-aware when driving outside schools, and do not stop to drop off their children anywhere other than where it is safe to do so.

"We work closely with parents and headteachers to develop parent parking policies outside their schools.

"Promoting park and stride schemes to encourage parents to drop children off a short walk from the school not only helps combat congestion outside schools but gives children some daily exercise and road safety practice on their way to and from school.