DANGEROUS parking by a minority of parents outside a York school is putting children’s lives at risk - and when someone challenged a driver, he abused and spat at them.

Head teacher Debbie Glover has revealed the shocking incidents in streets outside Poppleton Road Primary School in a series of messages to parents.

In December, she said the school’s site manager had endured verbal abuse from a small minority of parents when all he was doing was trying to keep pupils safe.

In January, she thanked most parents for making Seldon Road, where the school entrance is situated,much safer for children, but said there had sadly been a near miss after school, and parents were still causing a real hazard by parking on zigzag lines.

York Press: Zigag lines outside the school which some patrents have parked on

She also said in January that, despite all the school’s work and campaigning, dangerous parking and driving had ‘reached a new level.’

She said: “Cars were parked directly at the front of school, blocking a road and pavement where many of our families cross.

“People had to go onto the very busy main road with their pushchairs and young children, which is totally unacceptable.

“I will inform the council and police as it is only a matter of time before there is a serious accident where children are seriously injured or worse. This recklessness cannot continue.”

In February, she said a local resident had been verbally abused by someone collecting their children from the school, as a result of them politely requesting they didn’t park in their private parking place.

Then last week, she said a member of the public had contacted her to say they had been verbally abused, sworn at and spat at when they had challenged some very dangerous and inconsiderate driving and parking.

She said the incident had been reported to the police and thanked all of the parents who helped to keep the children safe.

York Press: Flashback to January: Pupils display posters to raise awareness of parents' reckless driving and parkingTwenty-Four pupils from Poppleton Road Primary School and Ward Councillor Kallum Taylor pictured with the banner

Mrs Glover told The Press that the majority of parents had responded well to requests to park but there was unacceptable behaviour from a minority, and her first priority had to be the safety of the school’s children.

A parent said the school was ‘brilliant’ but it could only do so much, and more action was needed from the council and police. “Someone is going to be seriously injured if these parking issued aren’t sorted out,” they added.

Holgate councillor Kallum Taylor said selfish and unsafe parking by a minority was an ongoing problem outside the school, and it was something he wouldn’t stop challenging, by urging the council to carry out more enforcement and surveying travel habits to inform policy.

“Abusive and disgusting behaviour like spitting is a whole new level though and should be dealt with by the police to make it clear that it has no place in any decent community,” he said.

“The kids, the staff, residents, and the vast majority of parents are really not asking for much at all, to just want a safer school environment and nobody is too busy, important, or above the law, for that.”