Mums believe it's only a matter of time before a child is killed outside a school by a reckless driver.

A series of near-misses and two crashes have sparked concerns youngsters are at risk when being dropped off and picked up from Water Meadows Primary in Hersden, near Canterbury.

Head teacher Ben Martin says staff do all they can "to remind parents about the importance of keeping safe" when driving to the Shaftesbury Road site.

But an incident two weeks ago that saw a parent backed into by a reversing car outside the school gates has confirmed many of the mums' concerns.

One mother, 35-year-old Sarah Capper, told KentOnline: "This has become more and more of an issue at pick-up times.

"I had a near-miss one day which I was very angry about and it's nearly happened to others and children too.

“I want to keep my children safe, but this is very hard with the number of cars coming down the road, some faster than others.

"This is very concerning and needs to be stopped before someone gets seriously hurt.”

Ms Capper says the problem is made worse by cars parking on the pavement, as this forces families to walk in the road.

Parents say a car was even written off last year following a collision along the cul-de-sac.

The school attempted to combat the issue by arranging a walking bus, but not enough parents came forward to help the initiative.

One mum thinks motorists will not realise how dangerous the situation could be until a pupil from the school is knocked down.

A parent - who did not wish to be named - said: “The consequences are a child could be killed.

“It’s 20mph in the village - but they do not come down this road slowly.”

The group of mums is urging families living in the village to ditch their cars and instead walk to and from school with their children.

Mr Martin insists the primary "understands the concerns of parents and shares their commitment to ensuring the safety of everyone".

“The school does all it can to remind parents about the importance of keeping safe when parking and dropping off or picking up their children," he added.

"I want to keep my children safe, but this is very hard with the number of cars coming down the road, some faster than others..."

“We encourage our parents to consider walking to school as a safer and healthier alternative to driving and for those who cannot walk, encourage them to park further away from the school to avoid congestion.”

Signs warning drivers "stopping here could endanger a child's life" are also placed outside the primary's gates at pick-up and drop-off times.

A spokesman for Kent County Council says officers "are aware of the concerns raised by some parents of pupils who attend Water Meadows Primary".

"We have offered to support the school," he said.

“By working with school leaders, we can implement a travel plan and provide education resources to help children and parents better understand road safety.”