VALE parents who drive their children to schools have been warned a serious accident is inevitable unless they leave their cars at home.

The warning follows a national plea by the Department of Transport for parents to walk their children to school, and a West Midlands survey where busy mums have admitted that they have put their children at risk when driving their children to schools, dentists, Scouts and other activities.

Headteachers at schools in Four Pools Lane joined forces this week in a last-ditch attempt to convince parents that walking their children to and from school was the safest option, and hope parents around the Vale will follow their example.

More than 1,000 pupils and 180 staff at the Vale of Evesham School, Simon De Montfort Middle School and St Richard's First School crowd into the area and make access impossible.

Mike Barratt, acting headteacher at Simon De Montfort Middle School, said he was amazed an accident had not already happened but it was only a matter of time.

He said the problem escalates with school coaches and delivery vehicles but more importantly, emergency vehicles would struggle to get through the parked cars.

The volume of traffic, particularly in the mornings when parents are anxious to get to work, and cars double parked and on grass verges make it difficult for the crossing lady to see when the road is clear.

The schools have full responsibility for the private road which runs between them but yellow lines put in the road were ignored and signs put up asking parents not to park have either been pulled out of the ground or vandalised.

Headteachers have been battling the problem for two years but letters sent to parents have made no difference and confronting parents outside the school has often resulted in abuse.

Mr Barratt said staggered times for releasing pupils have made little difference and children at the Vale still have problems getting in and out of school during the day.

Vale of Evesham head Emlyn Matthews said: "It's an accident waiting to happen. We are just waiting for a child to be killed, it is absolute hell. People use the road as if it was a footpath. Vehicles should not be there. We paid for a footpath to be put there for the public to use but they won't use it."

Head teachers are now hoping a catastrophe can be avoided if parents listen to their concerns and protect their own children and others by leaving their cars at home.

Parents are not only putting their children at risk by crowding around schools but by driving dangerously with children in their cars.

A survey released this week by Autoglass, working with the International Stress Management Association, revealed 'mums on the run' made an average 28 trips a week ferrying their children between home, school and after-school activities.

Soaring stress levels, deadlines and the distractions caused by tired or excited children are causing them to regularly make serious road safety blunders. Stress experts monitored mothers driving with children and found their heart rates typically rose by 51 per cent - enough to affect decision-making.

Mothers across the West Midlands told survey organisers they had often forgotten to fasten their children's seatbelts, have driven aggressively, broken speed limits, jumped traffic lights and taken their eyes off the road to deal with their children.

Common mistakes

Many mums admit:

Taking eyes off the road to deal with kids - 82 per cent

Going over the speed limit - 78 per cent

Going through an amber light - 60 per cent

Cutting up another driver - 52 per cent

Being too tired to drive - 48 per cent

Driving aggressively - 46 per cent

Driving too slowly - 38 per cent

Using a mobile phone - 34 per cent

Forgetting to belt the children in - 34 per cent

Being distracted by children arguing - 51 per cent

Being distracted by children shouting - 38 per cent