PARENTS are blocking a cycle lane and parking on double yellow lines to drop off and pick up their children at an Old Town School.

But they have hit back at criticisms from a councillor.

They say they must be at King William School to protect their children from possible undesirables and would be only too happy to use local car parks at a special rate.

The school is in narrow King William Street, which is narrowed further still by a traffic-calming extended curb.

During school run times, it is badly congested, with parents' cars parked on both sides.

Coun Anne Baxter (LibDem, Eastcott) said: "It is very dangerous they park on double yellow lines, in the cycle lane or with one wheel on the pavement.

"I worry that a child might by hit by a car."

Adrian Dean, the council's group officer for traffic management and road safety, was invited by Coun Baxter to see the situation for himself yesterday afternoon.

He said: "I have been asked to see if there is anything to do to alleviate the difficult parking situation that exists in the mornings and afternoons."

Mr Dean said the authority had rejected the idea of offering free or reduced-rate short-term parking at nearby car parks during school run times.

He said it was feared that this would damage revenues and be ineffective in any case because there were few spaces available at the critical times.

Parents parked in the street said they hated causing inconvenience, but refused to leave their children waiting outside the school either before or after classes.

Typical was Amanda Carnall, 26, a personal assistant who lives in Burdon Close, Stratton St Margaret.

Waiting to pick up son Ayrton, seven, she said the distance between home and school made walking not practical.

She said: "None of us can afford to pay £1.60 per day to use a car park, but we have suggested some sort of permit allowing us to park for 10 minutes, morning or evening.

"There is no way we would leave our children waiting.

"None of us are happy having to park like this, but there is nowhere else."

Liz Lester, 32, from Old Town, who was waiting for sons Theo, nine, and Joel, seven, said she and the boys walked to and from school in better weather but drove in winter.

She added: "Are we supposed to leave the children outside school to get snatched?"

Headteacher, Alan Voyce, was unavailable for comment.

Last week, the Evening Advertiser told how some parents of pupils at Cricklade's St Sampson's school were causing a potential danger by parking outside the fire station.

And earlier this week we revealed that Swindon Council plans to introduce 20mph limits in front of all schools in the borough in a bid to cut road accidents and the potential for them.