PARENTS fear a child could be killed or seriously injured walking to school - because other mums and dads dropping off their youngsters are parking on the pavement.
PARENTS fear a child could be killed or seriously injured walking to school - because other mums and dads dropping off their youngsters are parking on the pavement.
One mum said her nine-year-old son had had two narrow escapes after vehicles mounted the path to park and nearly hit him.
She is furious at the situation outside Trimley St Mary Primary School and is calling for the police to take action against the illegal parking to protect the children.
The mum, who asked not to be named, said she had confronted the drivers in the incidents but they had been unconcerned and not apologetic at all.
“They should not be parking on the pavement at all but people just want to get as close to the school as they can and are not even prepared to walk a few yards,” she said.
On one occasion outside the school in High Road she had looked behind her just in time and grabbed her son out of the way of a car, and another time a car pulled onto the pavement and started reversing and almost hit him.
“My son was as white as a sheet after the first incident - it was very close and he could have been killed or seriously injured,” she said.
“It is horrifying and very upsetting. Children should be able to walk to school without fear of being run over by cars pulling up on the pavement.
“If people are going to bring children to school by car, for crying out loud they should be sensible about it and look out for others.”
A 20s Plenty scheme has just been installed outside the school, and other restrictions to try to improve safety and encourage parents to walk their children to school.
A police spokeswoman said: “Officers are giving the site regular attention and anyone who has concerns should speak to the officer there who will take appropriate action.
“We would ask parents to exercise courtesy and drive carefully where there are small children and be especially aware of where they are parking.”
Should more be done to stop people driving children to school? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk
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