STAFF at Winsley Primary are hoping that new road markings will deter parents and villagers from blocking the school entrance after an ambulance got stuck trying to access the school.

The school has made previous attempts to warn drivers about the dangers of blocking the entrance and this week, pupils, parents and staff welcomed the new yellow 'School Keep Clear' zigzag lines which are part of the school's travel plan.

Headteacher Becky Wilson said the incident with the paramedic happened on Tuesday and fortunately it was not serious.

She added: “When we needed the paramedic to come to the school, there were cars blocking the entrance so we had to ask them to move.

“It is important for people to be aware of the safety of the children but also the safety of people coming to and from the school, especially in the event of an emergency.”

The aim of the travel plan is to make it more sustainable to journey to and from the school and to make it safer for the children.

Parents Rachel Hammond and Liz Johns led the project and believe the parking problem has got worse in recent years.

Mrs Hammond said: “There is so much illegal parking outside the school and a lot of people block the driveway.

“This problem has been going on for years and it has been made worse by all the village amenities being concentrated in a 100m radius of the school.”

Winsley Primary will be adding to its safety efforts next week by joining the national Walk to School Week initiative which hopes to alleviate traffic at school gates during peak times.