A near-miss outside King Charles Primary School prompted the school's head to encourage parents to park more carefully.

Lee Moscato said in a newsletter that "the safety of pupils is being put at risk" due to the way in which some cars are parked on pavements and across junctions.

Local police and civic enforcement officers have been asked to patrol the area to ensure the safety of children.

The area that appears to have the most difficulties is the crossroads along Albany Road, where cars line both sides of the road meaning drivers struggle for visibility when pulling out of junctions.

The near-miss took place at the junction of Albany Road and Cambridge Place when a driver nearly reversed into a parent and her young son.

Jane Boriosi regularly walks her son Felix to school. She said: "We think it's terrible. Why can't people walk?"

Her son Felix, 11, added: "Sometimes it's dangerous when the lollipop lady's not here."

Jane said: "[Felix] is 11 so it's alright for him, but I'm still a bit reluctant about his nine-year-old sister."

Sue Johns, the lollipop lady for the school, agreed that there were problems with parking outside the school.

She said: "Most people want to be as close as they can, especially in bad weather."

Another issue that she highlighted was a large van that has been parked outside the school all year, occasionally obstructing the pavement.

Speaking about the near-miss incident, Sue said: "This junction [Cambridge Place and Albany Road] was the problem because they park three abreast. The lady wasn't looking and reversed quickly.

"You just have to creep really slowly and just peer round."