Frustrated residents living near a primary school have resorted to blockading the road with bins in a war against inconsiderate parking by parents.

Parents dropping off or picking up their children at Great Dunmow Primary School park in the narrow streets behind the school, including Spruce Avenue and Laburnham Road, blocking pavements and driveways from 8.30-9am on weekday mornings.

Residents in the streets say they are fed up with the long-running parking issue that shows no sign of being resolved.

A Spruce Avenue resident said: “It’s annoying me that they just don’t think. It’s my pet peeve that we have to walk part of the way to school on the road because the pavement is blocked.”

Some people have even tried to stop cars parking over their driveways using bins as a blockade, and the school believes it is often the same parents who are parking in this manner each day.

The school advises parents to park in Tesco, which is only a short walk away – saying the shop is happy about this.

Reminders are also published in its school newsletter, The Burgundy Broadcast, and sometimes the headteacher Kevin Watts patrols around outside, but the school says there is nothing else it can do.

On September 16, just two weeks after term started, a letter said: “Please refrain from parking on private driveways, yellow lines and corners; Tesco are more than happy for you to use their car park so we would appreciate it if you could do so.

“Parking dangerously is an accident waiting to happen so we would appreciate your consideration.”

At least once this term already, a representative from the Essex County Council’s highways department has come to the problem area to try and discourage parking, but the problem still occurs.

Susan Barker, deputy leader of Uttlesford District Council, said: “They park absolutely everywhere and you can see how frustrated people are with the parking situation.

“They block the pavement so people have to walk in the road, but it’s a trend setting thing, once someone does it, people copy.

“Why on earth don’t they park in Tesco? Parents are very frustrated and I get an enormous number of complaints.

“It’s not the fact they are parking there, it’s that they are on the pavement so people can’t walk on it. Some of them are so far up Spruce Avenue I am beginning to wonder if Tesco wouldn’t be closer.”