Illegal parkers 'named and shamed' at Northampton school

A teacher concerned illegal parking at a Northampton school poses a danger to children now displays registrations of offending vehicles on the gates.

Jackie Lapsa, head of Vernon Terrace Primary School, also takes photos of double-parked cars.

She said the details had been shown to police but "no agencies seem to want to do anything about it".

Northamptonshire Police said it included the school in its patrols "as often as we are able to"

'Downright rude'

The school is in a narrow street with residents' parking on both sides, and Ms Lapsa told BBC Inside Out East she had witnessed many "near misses".

Ms Lapsa said she was collecting about six registration numbers each week. She said she had tried talking to parents, but some ignored her or were "downright rude".

"One parent told me I was doing my job wrong and that I should be getting a multi-storey car park built in the playground," she said.

Parents double-park and stop on the Children Keep Clear signs

"I'm very passionate about it because I'm really worried that a child or an adult is going to get knocked over and seriously hurt."

A spokesman for Northamptonshire Police said the force dedicated a lot of officer time to the school which involved regularly changing shifts to provide a presence there at key times in the mornings and afternoons.

Sgt Rod Williams said: "Officers move on anyone who parks inappropriately and will issue tickets when it is proportionate to do so."

According to the research group Road Safety Analysis, each month more than 1,000 children are injured on roads around British schools.

See more on BBC Inside Out East, on BBC One at 19:30 GMT on Monday and afterwards for seven days on the BBC iPlayer.