PARENTS who park their cars illegally while taking their children to school could soon be hit with fines of up to £90.

The crackdown is part of a tough new Lancashire County Council initiative to put a stop to motorists who regularly flout the law by parking on zig zag lines outside schools

The Parkwise scheme which is being launched on July 4 will also be targeting other motorists who park illegally on double yellow lines and in bays for the disabled. It is designed to improve road safety and reduce traffic congestion.

Across the county there will 100 extra parking attendants with Preston getting 17 more and four for South Ribble

However, parents at St Gerard's RC Primary School in Lourdes Avenue, Lostock Hall, met the news with anger.

Tracy Robinson, 30, of Flag Lane who drives her two young children to and from the school every day, said: "It's a nightmare in the mornings, and if they start fining people it's going to cause outrage.

"It's impossible to walk every day for people who have to work.

"If I want to get a parking space I have to be here 15 minutes before they leave school.

"Today I had to park right outside the school gate, which I don't like doing, but sometimes there is no other option."

Terry Taplin, 55, of Leyland Road, who was collecting his nine-year-old granddaughter Emily, on foot, added: "It's only ten to 15 minutes in a day that people park here, and I think that it will create a lot of bad feeling and aggravation if people start getting fined."

St Gerard's headteacher, Janet Malone, declined to comment, but another head said parking was a problem at her school and welcomed the move.

Mrs Janis Burdin, headteacher at Moss Side Primary School, Paradise Lane, Leyland, said: "If parents are parking carelessly and illegally in a way that causes problems then I am in favour of fines being given out."

Under ParkWise, responsibility for issuing Penalty Charge Notices will transfer from the police to district councils.

The county council said previously the police did not have the resources to enforce driving rules outside schools but, once this initiative is up and running, parking attendants will dedicate their time to problem areas such as congested school lanes.

District councils across the county currently employ 40 attendants but that number will eventually rise to 140.

A spokesman for the county council, said: "We will target any area where there are difficulties with parking. Only people who are parked illegally will receive tickets."

Fines of £30 will be charged, rising to £60 if not paid within 14 days, and to £90 after 28 days.

Under the new scheme parking illegally will cease to be a criminal offence and will become a civil offence with payments pursued through the County Court if necessary.