“Dangerous” parking outside a primary school has forced police officers to patrol the area and to appeal to parents to adhere to restrictions in place.

Robert Staples, the headteacher of Fairlands Primary School on Pound Avenue in Stevenage, met with Stevenage MP Stephen McPartland and chairman of the school’s governors Keith Smith to discuss what could be done about the traffic problems caused by drivers parking illegally.

“We agreed it is a handful of parents who regularly park on the zig-zag lines who are causing the biggest problem and our focus needs to be on encouraging them to change their behaviour,” said Mr Staples.

Newly painted lines and repaired bollards are some of the safety measures which have now been carried out at the school. Herts police have also stepped in to offer their support.

Neighbourhood inspector Simon Tabert said: “We are aware of the situation with dangerous and inappropriate parking outside Fairlands Primary School and have been carrying out regular checks of the area at key times. Anyone found parking in the wrong place has been given advice and they could face a fine if they continue to park inappropriately.

“Parents especially should know the dangers of parking on yellow zig-zags and in other restricted areas, so we ask all of them and the wider community to please adhere to restrictions around school premises. They are there for a reason - to help keep your children safe.”

Mr Smith said: “The parking and consideration for other road users has greatly increased since the visit from Mr McPartland. His help and advice has provided the school with newly painted lines, repaired bollards and regular visits from police community support officers. The children, parents and staff have all noticed the improvement over the past few weeks.”

Mr McPartland said: “The safety of our children is very important and if we all work together we can continue improving road safety outside Fairlands Primary School.”