PLANS to impose more parking restrictions on roads near West Malling railway station have been agreed by councillors who fear that pupils may be killed or injured if commuters continue to park outside a nearby school.

The parking ban in Lucks Hill and a stretch of Lavenders Road, could be in force as early as September. But there are fears that it will increase problems for commuters already struggling to find enough parking spaces at the railway station.

The station's own car park is too small to cope with the rapidly increasing number of people who catch trains at the station. At its latest meeting, Tonbridge and Malling council's Cabinet adopted a new parking action plan which calls for the quick introduction of parking restrictions near More Park School, Lucks Hill.

Bridie Price, the school's acting head teacher, said: "I do appreciate that there are problems for commuters as well, parking at the station.It's a problem for everybody but obviously I am more concerned about the safety of the children."

Mrs Price said: "The spaces outside the school are taken up by what we believe to be commuters. Our parents are having trouble finding a space to park and we get a gridlock of traffic."

On one occasion a driver had used the school car park as a short-cut to break through the gridlock while children were in it, she said.

Parents had been prohibited from driving into the school car park after several incidents when children were nearly hit by reversing vehicles, she added.

Michele Shardlow-Wrest, who drives her eight-year-old son, Ryan, to school from Kings Hill, said: "I'm concerned for all the children's safety. The parking situation cannot carry on."

She stressed: "I just think it's ridiculous and the situation's going to get worse. More and more commuters are moving to the area and where are they going to park."

She said at least 20 cars parked in Lucks Hill every morning and many more in Lavenders Road.

Cllr Mark Worrall, Conservative borough councillor for West Malling and chairman of the council's scrutiny committee, said: "The Lucks Hill situation is the most dangerous."

He said: "The action plan will put that part of West Malling as the top item on the agenda for action."