A headteacher today called for double yellow lines to protect children outside her school if parking charges are brought in at a nearby car park.

Linda Obersteller, headteacher at Thundersley Infants in Dark Lane, said children risk serious injury if parents stopped using the car park because they did not want to pay the proposed 20p an hour fee.

The car park used to be free but Castle Point Council wants to introduce charges at Hart Road as well as other car parks across Castle Point.

However Mrs Obersteller is concerned parents could park in Dark Lane if the plans go ahead, putting children being dropped off at the school gates or walking to the entrance in danger.

She said: "The infant school is down a very narrow lane and, if parents park there, it will become blocked up. The road gets very busy. If people stopped using the car park because of the charges it would get worse.

"More traffic is always a danger to children. They could be seriously injured just crossing the road on their way to school if a car came along too quickly.

"If the council goes ahead I would want to see yellow lines down Dark Lane and a traffic warden on duty to make sure people did not park there. There was talk of yellow lines being introduced at one point and they would help children's safety."

Traders are furious at the proposed charges, which they say could kill off the small row of shops along Hart Road.

Hairdresser Barbara Ellis, 52, said: "We have a free car park next to our shops and it is one of the reasons people come here. If the council were to take that away, we would have very little to offer people and they would go to Rayleigh or Hadleigh to shop in Sainsburys where they can park for free."

The shopkeepers have written letters to the council objecting to the charges.

At a meeting last month members backed proposed charges at Richmond Hall car park in High Road, Benfleet, and Oak Road on Canvey but a final decision will be made on May 17. Fees to park in Hart Road will be decided later.

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