COMMUNITY support officers are the driving force behind a new parking initiative at Bexton Primary School.

Members of the Knutsford Neighbourhood Policing Team and pupils were out in force on Thursday January 30 to launch the ‘Remember Me’ initiative.

The initiative aims to educate parents, residents and other road-users about the dangers of parking on the ‘yellow markings’ – such as ‘keep clear’ zig zags, double yellow lines and single restricted no waiting zone areas.

PCSO Greg Bithell, who co-ordinated the campaign, said: “These locations are specifically designated as they are seen as the highest risk locations and are enforced to protect the safety of both road users and pedestrians.

“Hopefully this type of education about road markings and obstruction will be successful and will improve the parking issues around the area making it a safer place everyone.”

As part of the initiative, Greg invited pupils from each year to design a ‘Parking Ticket’ with the message ‘Remember Me’.

Two designs were chosen by a panel and Greg’s team and a group of pupils have been patrolling the roads outside the two school entrances and handing the tickets to drivers of vehicles that are found causing an obstruction.

Greg added: “It is clear that this type of initiative is getting the message across a lot stronger than it would by normal Police Enforcement. We found on the whole we received a positive reaction from the drivers that we issued tickets by the children and they fully supported our message.”