MOTORISTS in Hartlepool are being warned to think of schoolchildren's safety or risk being fined.

Council officials have launched a new initiative to improve road safety near schools.

The initiative arises from the council taking over from police traffic wardens the responsibility for all yellow line parking offences.

Council officers aim to work with pupils and staff to encourage more considerate parking, particularly by parents when picking up or dropping off their children.

However, they have also warned that they will not hesitate to fine drivers who flout the law.

The first school to get involved is St Helen's Primary School, on the Headland.

Robert Snowball, Hartlepool Borough Council's travel plan assistant, said: "St Helen's was the first school in the town to develop a school travel plan, a blueprint for promoting alternatives to the car when travelling to and from school.

"The charter will cover issues such as the importance of keeping off the yellow keep-clear zig-zag markings directly outside schools, and we hope the children will encourage their parents to sign up."

Phil Hepburn, the council's parking services manager, said: "Tackling safety issues outside schools has become one of our top priorities following the decriminalisation of parking, which gave us full responsibility for enforcing yellow line restrictions.

"We hope to do this with the co-operation of motorists, but parking patrol officers will be targeting problem areas and fixed penalty notice fines will be issued to drivers who flout the law."