INCONSIDERATE parents are putting youngsters' lives at risk, and damaging property in a Portishead cul-de-sac, a furious resident claims. Julie Batterham (pictured right) lives in Greenfield Park, just yards from Gordano School, and says that during t

INCONSIDERATE parents are putting youngsters' lives at risk, and damaging property in a Portishead cul-de-sac, a furious resident claims. Julie Batterham (pictured right) lives in Greenfield Park, just yards from Gordano School, and says that during the school run, her quiet residential road turns into 'a three-ring circus'.The mother-of-two claims that in the mornings, parents often drive too fast along the cul-de-sac in a bid to get their children to school on time.In addition, the childminder says mums and dads park across driveways, and in front of garages, and struggle to manoeuvre their vehicles safely in the narrow street.In the last month, a driver has reversed into her garage door, leaving it dented and inoperable, so a dustbin now stands guard to protect it from further damage. In addition, another motorist, turning round in the cramped cul-de-sac, hit the back of the family's Ford Focus, which is less than a year old.Julie said: "During school-run times, Greenfield Park is like a three-ring circus."The drivers' frenetic behaviour is dangerous to schoolchildren, extremely inconvenient for residents, and proving expensive. "There are times I can't get out of, or back to, my house because of the number of vehicles clogging up the cul-de-sac."I understand parents want their children to be safe, but the children who are being dropped off and collected are not babies, they're 11-18-year-olds."I would urge these parents to be more considerate and use Wetlands Lane instead as their collection and drop-off point."Gordano School's headmaster, Graham Silverthorne, said he had 'every sympathy' with residents who were experiencing difficulties at school-run times and added: "I am more than willing to include an article in our school newsletter to urge parents to be more considerate when dropping off and collecting their children." What do you think? Let us know. Write to us at Portishead Times, 32 Waterloo Street, Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, BS23 1LW. You can also e-mail us at nstimes@archant.co.uk or fax your letters to 01934 422600.