VIDEO: Warning for children's safety as 200 fines issued in Peterborough for school parking

The SaferPeterborough Prevention and Enforcement Service (PES) operates a school enforcement programme and has penalised drivers for a number of incidents of dangerous parking outside Peterborough’s schools.

PES officers have carried out more than 680 school visits over the past year, often due to concerns raised about parking by headteachers, teachers and parents, and issued around 200 penalty charge notices since April 2016.

The schools in the city that have been visited the most include Queen’s Drive Infant School in Queen’s Drive West, Arthur Mellows Village College in Glinton, Discovery Primary School in Walton, and Paston Ridings Primary School in Paston.

Sarah Skinner, headteacher of Queen’s Drive Infant School, said: “Parents parking their cars badly outside our school is a big problem. I fear it is only a matter of time before a pupil is seriously hurt due to this irresponsible and dangerous parking.”

The PES team, which combines city council, police, fire service and prison staff into a single managed service, can deploy a CCTV vehicle outside schools to crack down on motorists who are parking on yellow markings outside the school gates.

Evidence collected by the cameras is used to issue penalty charge notices to offenders.

Councillor Irene Walsh, cabinet member for communities and environment capital, said: “Dangerous parking outside schools is a real problem in Peterborough and we urge parents and drivers to think about the potentially disastrous consequences that this may cause to children’s lives.

“We hear from an increasing number of parents worried about their children’s safety outside schools including in my own ward at Hampton Hargate Primary School.

“Cars are parked on pavements which are meant to be safe routes for children. Drivers are reversing close to school gates and parking on double yellow or zig zag lined areas and again this puts children in danger as they walk or cycle to school.

“The yellow zig zag lines provided outside schools are there to protect children, making the road safer to cross. The Prevention and Enforcement Service cannot patrol outside every school and I would implore parents to be more responsible on the school run.

“We ask that parents and drivers work with us by leaving enough time to park further away from the school gates and walking the last part of their journey.”

The PES officers have the ability to take action against a wider range of community issues.

The public can report issues and concerns via the MyPeterborough app or they can call 101 or 01733 747474.