PUPILS and staff at an Oxford school have appealed for parents not to park in front of the entrance in a bid to improve safety.

Children at Windmill Primary School, in Margaret Road, Headington, posed with banners to stress the importance of keeping the front of the school clear.

Headteacher Lynn Knapp said parents parking outside the school caused a number of problems, including poor visibility for pupils crossing the road and obstruction of the school site.

She added: “There are zig-zag lines and double yellow lines showing parents where not to park. People drive quite fast down this road.

“And with the cars in front of the school, it makes it very hard for children to cross because they can’t see what is coming.“ The school is taking part in an Oxfordshire County Council drive to encourage parents to use other methods of transport to get children to school.

Ian Hudspeth, the council’s cabinet member for transport, said: “Wherever possible, we encourage pupils and parents to walk, cycle or use the bus.

“If parents do need to use the car for the journey to school, we hope that after seeing the pupils and the banner they will be encouraged to drop off and collect their children in a safer location.”