A HEADTEACHER has warned parents they are putting lives at risk by parking on double yellow lines, mounting grass verges and blocking junctions.

In her latest newsletter, Canvey Junior School headteacher Karen Tucker urged parents to stop “endangering the children’s safety” with their behaviour.

She said she has received complaints from neighbours about cars parking illegally and blocking driveways in and around Long Road during the school run.

In the newsletter, she said: “It has been bought to our attention that parents taking children to and from this school, and the infant school, are parking in such a way that is breaking the law, endangering the children’s safety and causing access problems for the surrounding residents.

“Parents are parking illegally on double yellow lines and across driveways, mounting grass verges and obstructing road junctions.

“Canvey Junior School agrees with the neighbouring residents that this inconsiderate behaviour is unacceptable and is causing a very serious safety risk.”

Dave Blackwell, leader of the Canvey Independent Party and county councillor for Canvey East, is a former Canvey Junior School pupil.

He said: “The situation down there is chaos, but it’s the same across a lot of the schools.

“I completely back the headteacher on this.

“I feel for the school and the residents who live opposite.

“Something has to be done.

“All the school can do is ask parents to stop, and that falls on deaf ears. Access is a big problem too. You have the GP surgery next door and people can’t get to their appointments.

“We could be heavy handed and say ‘right, we’ll get a traffic warden down there, but we don’t want to do that.”

The Echo contacted Mrs Tucker but she declined to comment.