Fears that someone could be killed or seriously injured when parents drop off and collect their children from Bishops Cannings Primary School has prompted the parish council and the school to tackle the issue.

Residents and parents have reported near misses caused by parents inconsiderately parking on roads near the school.

The issue has been simmering in the village for some time but has become worse as the number of pupils attending the school has grown to 195. A lot of the pupils live outside the village so their parents drive them to school.

A public meeting organised by the parish council in the village hall last week was attended by 50 people and they spoke of their concerns, particularly for the safety of the children.

Parish councillor Jenny Combe said: “We heard from members of the public about difficulty parking, negotiating parked cars, problems accessing local residences and unsafe walking for children as well as unsafe backing and turning of school buses. Parents and local residents had stories of narrow escapes and near misses.

“We are very concerned we will have another Woodborough (where six-year-old Finlay Connor was killed after he was hit by the school bus while walking with his mother to school last year).”

To try to come up with solutions it was decided to set up a small working party, consisting of school governors and parish councillors with involvement from the police and Wiltshire Council.

Nick Bancroft, chairman of governors at Bishops Cannings Primary School, said: “Parents are parking all the way down the road from West End towards the school and The Street and they are parking outside the old vicarage. Most parents are quite considerate, it’s a minority who are parking in such a way that it obstructs people’s driveways.

“In the past we have suggested to parents to park in the village hall car park, although we do accept that there is not an established footpath from there to the school; and the Crown Pub car park and walk through the churchyard to the school which is a five-minute walk.

“We are as concerned as the residents because the school wants to have a good relationship with the local community.”