Council gives teachers power to issue parking tickets to school run parents

Thurrock Council is to allow teachers to issue parking tickets to parents who clog up the school gates at pick up and drop off times.

The council is trialling the scheme which will give teachers and parents the chance to volunteer and issue fines to motorists.

According to the Daily Mail, the volunteers will be given a week's training followed by a month working with council civil enforcement officers.

See also: Bus driver fined for parking at bus stop

Jerry Glazier, national executive member of the National Union of Teachers in Essex, told the BBC: "It's unusual and innovative as parking is a perennial problem which needs tackling, but educating parents would be the best way forward.

"Teachers are there to teach and maintain positive relations with parents and I'm pretty certain most teachers would not want to put themselves into situations of potential conflict.

See also: The world's most dangerous school run?

"Maybe some parents would volunteer, but it's masking the bigger problem of cuts to local authorities."

Thurrock has 50 schools and only six full-time traffic wardens.

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