A HOTLINE has been set up for concerned parents to shop motorists who park dangerou- sly outside schools.

The special hotline and email account has been set up this week to mark children returning to school after the summer break.

Blackburn's Neighbourhood Policing Teams will be out and about around schools, urging parents and other motorists to park safely and lawfully around schools.

Sgt Jason Middleton said: "The presence of uniformed officers outside schools usually deters people from parking illegally, but parents have highlighted that the persistent offenders carry on regardless when police officers are not there.

"With this in mind, we are asking concerned parents to let us know about persistent offenders who are parking on the yellow zigzags or otherwise parking dangerously outside the schools."

Parents can pass details of offending vehicles to the police who will then visit the registered keeper of the vehicle and find out who the offending driver was.

The driver will then be spoken to and advised of the dangers and penalties for parking on the zigzags outside schools. The vehicle will then go on a zero tolerance list in relation to any further offences.

Sgt Middleton added: "Road safety remains a priority for the police and we will continue to do all we can to reduce road casualties. However, everybody has a part to play in reducing road traffic accidents and that includes local motorists and parents themselves.

"It is particularly important at this time of year, as children head back to school we often experience problems with people parking on zigzag lines particularly outside schools which is why we have decided to launch this awareness campaign."

Mary Lewis, headteacher at Lammack Primary School, gave her backing to the scheme. She said: "This is a problem for all schools nationally. "The parking around our school is presenting huge problems for safety and we are trying very hard to discourage people from parking on zig-zag lines and on other people's driveways.

"As a school we have a 12-month plan designed to reduce traffic problems and we are working with a party of parents, pupils and the community police to take action in coming months at developing ways in which we can do this."

Concerned parents can inform police by phone on 01254 353959 or by using the email, which is Blackburn.schoolparking@lancashire.pnn.police.uk