Traffic outside an infants school has become so congested that children are at risk of being hurt, a headteacher has warned.

Problems with parking around Peacehaven Infants School mean parents are dropping their children off outside the front entrance, causing problems on the road.

Headteacher Ann Williams said a voluntary one-way system has been put in place to try to tackle the congestion but it has not worked.

She said: "There has been a problem with parking at and around the school for some time.

"I have been here since January 2005 but it has been going on for longer than that.

"We have asked parents to park at the bottom of the road or in the Meridian Centre but because the children are so little, the parents do not want to leave them. We are not the only school in this situation."

Parents have been asked to drive into Roderick Avenue from Greenwich Way, and drive south to drop their children off before following the road round to Edith Avenue and leaving on Arundel Road.

Police community support officers (PCSOs) have been brought in to help with the problem but are not available all the time.

Mrs Williams said: "Our best policy would be to discourage people from driving their children to school.

"There is no staff car park either so we have to park along the road."

She added: "We have 210 children aged three to seven and the worst times of congestion are 8.45am and 3pm. It is a dangerous situation."

Peacehaven police are monitoring the traffic and are hoping that the one-way system will become a permanent feature.

Sergeant Robin Fuller said: "The headteacher and I are very concerned and we will be having a meeting on April 24 with council officials to see if we can resolve the traffic problems.

"It is an accident waiting to happen. There have been a few screeches but no children have been hit.

"One solution we have been talking about is organising a walking bus which would cut down on congestion.

"We have the PCSOs there sometimes but they cannot be there every day of the week. If we dont do something about the parking, it is going to get out of hand.

"We are not being horrible, we are just being practical."