School-run parents have been blasted as a 'disgrace' by furious locals who claim they block roads and don't care where they park their cars.

A backlash is brewing against mums and dads dropping off their children and now a local authority has launched a new crackdown.

Middlesbrough Council has vowed to slap heavy fines on parents who flout parking rules in an effort to clear residential streets and prevent accidents..

But parents were seen parking on zig-zag lines outside Captain Cook Primary School in the Middlesbrough suburb of Marton, when MailOnline visited this week.

One furious resident said: 'It's an absolute bloody disgrace - they don't care where they leave their cars.'

Residents near Captain Cook primary claim the daily coming and going of parents is damaging pavements outside their homes.

While teachers and other families say mums and dads in their cars show no consideration for little ones crossing the roads.

Barry Lincoln, 71, walking his granddaughter to school, said: 'It makes you worried for the safety of our children when people park irresponsibly.

'People do park in the zig-zagged areas which are there for a reason - they are clearly marked but people still park there, they seem oblivious to the dangers.

'Recently there was a day when I was coming out and heard this almighty scream from a parent as her child had narrowly avoided being struck by a car.

'It was swerving around a van which had parked in the area that should be kept clear and had obscured the view of anyone driving along the road.

'It's frightening to think what could have happened and that's why it's important people pay attention.

'It's twice a day and for a short time, but the school does have a lot of children being dropped off by car.

'Schools have changed - it's not like the old days when the pupils in a primary school all live within walking distance.

'In the case of Captain Cook they come from quite a distance, it's a good school.

'We have to accept things are different now, but that's why people have to be cautious about how they drive and park.'

National figures suggest the number of pupils walking to school plunged to 51 per cent, down from a recent peak of 70 per cent.

Meanwhile, a mother of one of the school's pupils said: 'My daughter is only three and we live 10 minutes' away so I have to drive to drop her off, but I never park in the zig-zags and I don't understand why anyone would.

'A lot of people drive because they have to and it can get busy at dropping-off time but I welcome the council taking a stand on this.

'Anything to keep our children safe is obviously welcome and parking here has been an issue for some time.'

School headteacher Amy Young says they are trying to find ways to regulate parking.

She said: 'There have been a few near-misses and of course that's a great worry for us - this is a narrow road with a lot of cars in it and children will be children, sometimes they don't think.

'We have been talking about introducing a walking train, which would involve finding a safe drop-off spot and having children walk the rest of the way to school under safe supervision.

'That's only at the discussion stage at the moment but we feel it might help this situation.

'We had to take action because people were parking on the pavement on a very busy main road passing the front of the school.

'To stop that from happening, we introduced wooden planters which stopped people from parking there but it moved the issue to the estate at the back of the school.

'When you speak to someone about it, the answer is usually 'I'm only going to be here a minute', but unfortunately that's all it takes.

'The children are little and don't always look where they are going.'

And in the Willows estate behind the school, residents fear tragic accidents.

Bert Hebron, 78, said: 'The number of cars that now arrive in the street every day is ridiculous and there seems to be getting more and more people driving their kids to school.

'In my day everyone walked to school, but things aren't like that anymore and they all get dropped off at the gate - it means people living near the school have to deal with all the problems that brings.

'It's supposed to be a 20mph zone, but people don't stick to that and they park right across the pavement because the road is so narrow.

'That means pushchairs and especially wheelchairs can't get past, and this is an estate with a lot of older people on it.

'They're so inconsiderate and don't appear to care how it's affecting people who live here - there's no way an emergency vehicle would be able to get through if it needed to.

'Even the bin lorry has had to change the time it arrives because the road is blocked with school traffic twice a day.'

Clive Mark, 79, said: 'It's an absolute bloody disgrace - they don't care where they leave their cars.

My neighbour and I have had to fork out £120 each to get the pavements renewed outside our homes because they've been ruined by the constant school traffic parking up.

'When I moved here in 1989 this was a lovely quiet estate and there were no traffic problems at all.

'Once the school was built everything changed and now our lives are being disrupted more than ever because the council decided, in its wisdom, to allow Captain Cook to take in pupils from all over Middlesbrough.

'It's a school with a good reputation and parents want their kids to go there, which is all very nice for them, but we're the ones who suffer through it.'

Tom Mawston, who was a councillor for Marton for 36 years, said: 'It has always been a problem, but unless there is effective enforcement from the council then it will continue.

'The trouble is that the council's budget is stretched and it can't afford to send people out around all the school to make sure people park and drive responsibly.

'What we really need is for parents to leave more time in the morning and be prepared to walk further with their children to take away the pressure around the school.

'At one time there was a venue a little down the road, the Marton Country Club, which allowed parents to park there and walk their children to school.
'It's now been closed off because of flytipping, but even when it was available there was a reluctance from many to walk that extra distance.'

Now a new alert from Middlesbrough Council's road safety team comes after schools and parents have been gearing up for the start of the new spring term.

Officials are reminding drivers that stopping on zig-zag lines outside a school carries a fine of up to £100 fine, while stopping on white zig-zags near a marked crossing can also lead to a fine as well as up to three penalty points.

Failure to stop for a school crossing patrol officer attracts a penalty of up to £1,000 plus three penalty points.

The council says lollipop staff report feeling scared to step out onto the road due to drivers failing to stop, while inconsiderate and illegal parking near schools and crossing points reduces visibility and increases the risk of accidents.

Councillor Peter Gavigan, Middlesbrough Council's executive member for environment, said: 'This kind of behaviour is selfish, completely unnecessary and has the potential to put lives at risk.

'The markings near schools are clear and unambiguous and they're there for a reason – to keep people safe.

'There's no excuse for parking on them and we will be making sure those who do are prosecuted.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12952099/school-parents-blocking-road-parking-Middlesbrough.html

Mr very unHappy, Old Skool, Falkland Islands, 3 hours ago

People are lazy these days, drive kids to school, drive through fast food, and I bet they would drive to the toilet if they could.