Safety measures must be introduced outside a primary school before a child is injured, a parent has warned.

Mother-of-three Jennifer Campbell says Nightingale Primary in Ashbourne Avenue, South Woodford, is the only school in the area without a dedicated crossing and has criticised fellow parents for parking irresponsibly.

She said her daughter Charlotte, 6, was almost hit by a car after a parked van blocked the view of oncoming traffic.

Her husband David managed to pull her away just before disaster struck and she says it was just one of many near misses.

The 43-year-old, of Cadogan Gardens, South Woodford, said: “I am sick of hearing that fixing the problem of providing a safe crossing for the children of Nightingale Primary School costs money.

“Most schools in the area have safe crossings and lollipop ladies or men. The only solution worth pursuing is providing a zebra crossing, narrowing the carriageway at the crossing point as at Churchfields Primary School or getting a lollipop lady.

“Parking is also a problem and only increases the need for a crossing. Parents are the worst culprits. They abuse the disabled blue badge system and park on the single yellow lines outside the school every day and some even on the yellow zigzag lines.

“Painting lines and putting up signs is not the answer. The parents do not care about endangering the lives of pedestrians as long as they can pull up to the school gates and drop their children off. 

“Perhaps a death or injury of a student of Nightingale Primary School might prick the conscience of an honest politician to get something done and spend the relatively small amount of money it would take to put in a zebra crossing.”

Today Cllr Ian Bond said he believes parking outside the school is more of a problem than the lack of a crossing, after previously admitting the budget for changes was limited.

He confirmed that he was in talks with highway officers about narrowing the carriageway at a designated crossing point.

Cllr Bond said: “The problem that a number of residents have raised with me is the danger of people parking immediately on or next to the raised platform which children use to cross the road.

“Clearly it isn't a safe place to park since parked vehicles make it difficult to see oncoming traffic, and for traffic to see pedestrians, particular shorter ones like children.”

The school supports calls for a crossing, but is unable to contribute towards the cost.

Headmistress Elizabeth Barrett said: “It is something we have been looking into for years and we are in full support of getting a safe crossing outside the school.

“Anything that will improve children’s safety is important to us. Parents parking on the single yellow lines is also still a huge problem and I have rung the police on several occasions over incidents of this.”

Ms Barrett was praised by Ofsted three years ago for transforming the once struggling Nightingale Primary School and helping it achieve an outstanding rating.