PUPILS at a primary school will urge parents not to put their safety in danger by parking directly outside the school at an event this week.

Children at Nightingale Primary School in Ashbourne Avenue, South Woodford, will hand out leaflets to parents and motorists to raise awareness of the dangers that parking on the yellow zigzags outside the schools can cause.

The leaflets will tell parents that stepping out from behind cars are a common cause of accidents involving small children, and will urge them to park further away from the schools when dropping off or picking up.

Jacqueline Levy, assistant headteacher at Nightingale School, said: “The idea actually came from the children themselves, both here and at Aldersbrook Primary, through something called the youth panel.

“They raised the issue of parking on the zigzag lines outside of school, when children are dropped off in the mornings. They were concerned that it blocked the roads and was dangerous for those crossing the road between cars.”

“There haven't been any accidents yet, which is fortunate, but we're just worried that there might be.

The safety drive is being organised by PCSO Jill Kitson, of Wanstead Safer Neighbourhood Team.

She said: “The children had spotted it themselves and said that they were worried about how dangerous it was. So they told us and we came up with a way to warn parents about it.”

In May the Guardian reported that parents parking on the zigzags outside another primary school – Woodford Green Prep in Glengall Road – were putting the children's safety at risk, according to headteacher Tony Blackhurst.

The school's bursar, James Bishop, said: “After the story ran we got a letter from the council saying they were going to look at the issue again, and that they were going to start a consultation the week of June 28.

“But so far nothing has materialised, so if they have consulted anyone it hasn't included us.

“They seem to spend some much money on silly things, like putting up signs and all the rest of it, but they haven't actually done the one thing that would have helped.

“We've got a new head starting in September so this sort of event may well be something she's looking at.”

The school organised a protest, and Woodford Green MP Iain Duncan Smith joined parents and staff to highlight the fact that the council had not made the parking restrictions mandatory.

Children from the school will give out the leaflets on Wednesday 14 at 8:30am.