PARENTS in Ashford are being targeted in a campaign that aims to encourage them to park safely, particularly near schools.

Parksafe highlights the dangers of poor parking near congested school gates and how lives can be put at risk if emergency vehicles cannot get through.

Thirty schools are being involved in the campaign with pupils asked to design a poster to promote the message. The designs will be published on the website www.kmwalktoschool.co.uk in November where the public will be able to vote for their favourite. The top voted illustration at each school will be printed on a special banner and displayed at the entrance. Child designers will also be invited to a photocall presentation later this year.

The campaign is being led by KCC and is supported by the children's road safety charity KM Walk to School, the emergency services and the Kentish Express and kmfm radio station.

The dangers of poor parking were brought home at an incident last academic term when a bus hit a car double parked by Furley Park primary school, Ashford.

Paul Ketley, headteacher of Furley Park, welcomed the Parksafe campaign and said he hoped the message would get through to parents that poor parking put lives at risk.

He said: "Parents parking on dropped kerbs and double parking reduce visibility for those walking. With a popular Walking Bus, a large number of pupils cycling in to us and a breakfast club, there are lots of positive options to remove the need for parents to drive to school."

This week information leaflets are being sent to 6,000 Ashford families to explain the dangers of poor and inconsiderate parking and to urge children to create a design for their school's Parksafe banner. The deadline for schools to send in the illustrations of their pupils is October 24.

The campaign also encourages parents to think about joining or setting up a KM Walking Bus and schools to take part in the Walk on Wednesday scheme. Grant funding is available from Heather Goodacre at KCC to assist schools in the Ashford area with this.

Heather Goodacre, extended school development manager for Ashford, said: "As more parents opt to drive their children to school, so the number of vehicles outside schools grows. The emergency services, together with schools, have become increasingly worried that access to, and past, schools is almost impossible at peak times.

"Through working with children, this will empower the parents to think about their attitude to parking."

For more information view www.kmwalktoschool.co.uk/parksafe or call the charity team on 0844 2640292.