PLANS are under way to help parking problems at Hazeldown Primary school, Teignmouth, amid fears children could get hurt.

Parents and some teachers park on the busy Exeter Road and Maudlin Drive because of lack of space in the school's car park.

Cars often park on the zig-zag areas near the school entrance in Maudlin Drive and near the school crossing in Exeter Road and double park at the bus stop opposite in the morning and afternoon school run.

There has also been concern about cars blocking driveways and stopping in Maudlin Drive. Now a planning application, drawn up by the county council, is soon to go before the county's development control committee for an extension to allow for an extra 10 car parking spaces for staff.

Headteacher David Evans said: 'It will mean that we can get our staff cars off the road and into the car park, which should help the problem. We have 60 staff here and though some do walk to school, others do not live in Teignmouth so have to use their cars.'

Mr Evans said 'a constant stream of letters' go out to parents about considerate parking and the police and support officers have been notified. 'Myself and the governors here are concerned that someone is going to get hurt. Our entrance is literally on a blind bend on to Maudlin Drive and it is dangerous.

'I do go out in the mornings to talk to parents about their parking, but I have no rights of enforcement outside of school. 'We are talking about adults and a public road. It is difficult to know what to do next,' he said.

The school, along with Devon County Council, is looking to set up a walking bus for youngsters and wants to encourage car-sharing to help alleviate the problems. Parent Craig Ridgely, who has a five-year-old and an 11-year-old at the school, said: 'There were 15 cars on the zig-zags this morning. It is a lethal situation.

'The trouble is that even if parents are told to move on, they may do, but then another pulls up straight away. 'Traffic is fast-moving down the hill from Exeter Road and the parking makes a dangerous situation even worse,' he said.