Police have issued a serious reminder to parents and motorists to follow parking restrictions around schools during busy drop-off and pick-up times.

The renewed call to action comes amid fears school staff and parents expressed fears over child safety near school grounds.

The Isle of Man Constabulary says it has encountered ‘persistent issues’ relating to parking with motorists parking inconsiderately and, in some cases, ignoring marked restrictions, creating potentially hazardous situations.

A statement from the Eastern Neighbourhood Policing Team stressed that parking restrictions, including yellow zigzag lines marked with ‘School Keep Clear’, have been positioned to maintain clear visibility and safe access for pupils crossing roads near school entrances.

It read: ‘After monitoring some of our schools for a few days it is clear that the main issue is that people either do not know or choose to ignore the signs and markings or are leaving it late to get to school making them choose to park dangerously.

‘Most school entrances and exits have yellow zigzag road markings with the writing ‘School Keep Clear’.

‘They indicate the part of the road where motorists should not wait, stop, or park a vehicle.

‘Numerous drivers tried to park on such this morning (even with an officer stood there in a bright jacket) and were waved on a few metres down the road, hardly an inconvenience.’

To address these concerns, the police shared essential safety guidelines for parents and guardians when parking near schools.

A spokesperson for the force said: ‘When picking up or dropping off children at schools, you should do the following:

• Allow yourself plenty of time as the area is likely to be busy.

• Do not park on yellow zigzag lines and ideally avoid parking opposite them.

• If you decide to park further away, please be considerate of local residents and avoid blocking driveways or access ways.’