THERE are fears for the safety of Kington's schoolchildren after new parking charges are forcing parents to drop off their children on the main road.

Kington Primary School governors voiced their concerns a week after the Mill Street car park charges were enforced and many school staff were boycotting the spaces and using the Co-op car park down the road.

"The ramifications of what's happening are not just for a safe place for the staff to park but also for the safety of the children," said chair of the governors, Dean Benbow.

"We are trying to find a happy medium which satisfies the transportation department of the council in their attempt to redesign the car parking in Kington."

He added many teachers felt the 8am to 3pm time scale when the charges have been enforced were deliberately victimising staff and parents.

Councillor Mike Wilson, cabinet member for Highways and Transportation, said the main reason for the charges on Kington's Mill Street car park is to free up spaces for tourists visiting the town.

He said much of the parking in Kington is still free including a car park 160 metres down the road from the Mill Street site.

"I would hope that parents are not parking outside the school because there are restrictions on the street.

"We have ended the charging period at 3pm to enable parents to collect their children - our normal charging period is from 8am to 6pm," added coun Wilson.

He also said the ticket machines will be policed randomly by traffic assistants who already visit the town.