CHILDREN chanted as part of a protest to stop parents parking illegally outside their school on yellow zigzag lines.

Two primary schools in Bicester, Longfields and Langford Village, fear dangerous parking could put lives at risk.

Last summer, a student was knocked down outside Langford Village School. The pupil suffered minor cuts, but the scare prompted the launch of a safety campaign.

Now the schools have teamed up with police and Oxfordshire County Council to come up with a raft of measures to stop dangerous parking.

Launching the initiative at Longfields School, children held a banner and chanted: “Zigzag lines stay away, we want to arrive safe today.”

They want parents and children to walk to school or park cars in designated spots and walk the rest of the way. Local business have provided use of nearby car parks for the school run.

Parents dropping children at Longfields can use spaces at Oxfam, in Murdock Road, or Bicester North railway station, in Buckingham Road.

At Langford the Nightingale pub has offered the use of its car park.

Pc Vicky Lees, of Thames Valley Police, said: “There is a continuing issue with parents and guardians parking on the zigzag lines while dropping off and picking up children outside the school.

“This poses a risk to children’s safety, and we want to educate these drivers about the dangers of their actions and the possible consequences.

“Longfields is not the only school in Bicester that suffers from this problem, and we hope that by highlighting it here it will show everyone who drives children to and from school, that this is not acceptable.

“We have worked closely with the school on this issue, and the road safety team from the county council, and we hope the planned event will drive this message home.”

Mandy Rigault, council senior road safety officer, said people parking on the zigzag lines obstructed pedestrians’ view, which could lead to an accident.

She said: “We are trying to make it easier to park so parents and children can walk the rest of the way to school. The children protested to draw attention to the situation.

“Young people were telling anybody, ‘please don’t do it’.”

Longfields headteacher Paul Hill said: “I think parents are supportive and impressed to see us doing something about it.”

He added the protest had raised the profile of the problem and awareness of the dangers.

bicester@oxfordmail.co.uk