A crackdown on dangerous parking outside four Norwich schools will take place later this month, with schoolchildren playing a part in getting the road safety message over to their parents.

A road safety campaign will see enforcement officers focusing on four schools in the weeks ahead - Norwich High Junior School, Stretton School, Avenue Junior School and Mousehold Infant School.

An important part of the campaign, being run by the city and county councils, is raising awareness of dangers to schoolchildren when cars are parked illegally - such as making it harder for drivers to see youngsters crossing.

And children at the schools involved have designed posters to be displayed near the school gates to encourage drivers - including their own parents who drop them off and pick them up - not to put lives at risk.

Once the posters are in place, the city council's civil enforcement officers will visit the four schools on a rotational basis over two weeks to make sure people are parking legally.

Richard Wiseman, road safety education officer at Norfolk County Council, said: 'We want all children to be able to use our roads and get to school safely and we'll be supporting these schools as part of our county-wide road safety education programme.

'In particular, we'll be helping them run a campaign that they and the pupils have developed.

'It will encourage the students to take the message back to their own homes that protecting children on the school run is everyone's responsibility and that safe, sensible and considerate parking and driving around their school is a big priority for them.'

Norwich High School, in Newmarket Road, and the nearby Stretton School, in Albermarle Road, have teamed up for the campaign.

Steve Kavanagh, Norwich High School deputy head, said: 'Our first priority is the safety of our girls and we are pleased to work with the county council in promoting road safety as part of a balanced safety awareness programme. We feel that it would be extremely helpful if all road users were especially careful whilst in the vicinity of the city's schools.'

The action has been welcomed by people living in The Cedars sheltered housing complex in Albermarle Road.

They have long raised the issue that cars obstruct footpaths, making it difficult for those with mobility problems to walk down the street.

Jamal Sealey, Labour's candidate for Town Close ward in May's city council elections, said: 'This is a problem that has been going on for a very long time and, to me, it seems very inconsiderate for parents on the school run to make these older residents have to go in the road with their walking frames and mobility scooters.

'It's great that these residents are finally seeing some concerted action being taken.'

• Do you think school run parking is a big problem in Norwich? Write, giving full contact details, to Letters Editor, Propsect House, Rouen Road, Norwich NR1 1RE.