parents are being urged to take more care when they collect their children by car from two neighbouring schools on Colwall Green.

Safety concerns over parked cars, blind exits and other hazards were first highlighted when foot and mouth prevented traffic from driving into the grounds of the private preparatory Elms School, which keeps farm animals.

Parents also collect children from nearby Colwall Primary School.

Despite the situation improving with Herefordshire being given the all-clear from the disease last week, concern is still being expressed about people parking across driveways and on zigzag lines.

Leita Tame, a Colwall childminder who looks after youngsters attending Colwall Primary School, said: "Cars and minibuses park on the zig-zag lines and across driveways. The problem is just drivers not being aware of the children."

Villager Pamela Lloyd-Owen warned that 18 blind exits on to the grass verge (and over 30 dwellings) between the primary school and Evendine Lane is exacerbating the problem.

Richard Southall, headteacher at Colwall Primary School, said: "Our school has grown considerably in size and more and more people take their cars rather than walk.

"We've had consultations with Mr Ashby, headteacher at the Elms, and we've been looking at how we can help the situation.

"What we would like to see is more people walking and fewer people using cars. The sharing of cars would certainly help a great deal if that could be co-ordinated. "Once we have had a governor's meeting in January we may be able to make suggestions."

A spokesperson for The Elms said completion of work on a new building in the New Year would help ease congestion problems at pick-up times

Headmaster Mr Ashby was unavailable for comment.