CARELESS parking near a Bishop's Waltham school has improved, a parish council meeting has heard.

Concerns were raised by a parent at the last parish council meeting in January.

Resident Neil Cornmell said that four- and five-year old children were being led around parked cars and into the road in the mornings.

He pleaded with the council to do something about the parking, calling them his “last chance”.

But at a council meeting on Tuesday (February 12), parish chairman Judy Marsh said: “As a guardian myself, I can say it's better there. People are not parking quite as silly. But I did notice that I have only seen the cones up there on one day.”

Of particular concern had been a stretch of road from the police station on Hoe Road leading toward Bishop's Waltham Infant School.

But Councillor Peter Stokes told the meeting he felt a greater police presence was helping.

“I've seen on twitter that the officer has been up there fairly regularly,” he said.

Parking has long been a source of concern in Bishop's Waltham.

The Chronicle reported in January how a lack of parking in the centre had been causing altercations, with reports of verbal abuse aimed at wardens and the local beat officer having to accompany him on patrols.