Calls for tougher action on “selfish” drivers who put children’s lives at risk have been taken to the Government by the Leicester Mercury.

The paper is urging the Government to introduce harsher penalties for motorists who park illegally on zig-zag lines outside schools.

Reporter Tom Bennett travelled to London to present a 3,600-name petition to road safety minister Dr Stephen Ladyman.

The signatures from Mercury readers were gathered as part of its Pupils In Danger campaign, which calls for drivers to be given a £120 fine and three points on their licence if they are caught parking dangerously outside schools.

The campaign has also seen reporters and photographers visiting schools in Leicestershire to confront parents, and pictures of cars on zig-zag lines published in the paper.

During his visit to Westminster, Tom was told by the road safety minister that there is to be a review of penalties for drivers.

He said: “I’m not sure we’d go quite that far to make parking on zig-zags an endorsable offence, but we are undergoing a review of the penalties now.”

Editor Nick Carter told HoldtheFrontPage: “It remains to be seen if anything will happen.

“The petition was a way of focusing the Government’s attention on the strength of feeling.

“We are hopeful, but we are not going to let up – we will still be going out to schools and taking pictures and reporting on this issue.

“We have had a tremendous response and this is a serious problem.”

The Mercury launched the Pupils in Danger campaign after it was revealed that more than 150 children had been injured walking to school in the previous three years.

Head teachers laid the blame with parents who park at the school gates.