Parents who park 'dangerously' when picking up their children from school in Dartford will be dealt with, assures council leader Jeremy Kite.

After a petition was signed by hundreds of concerned residents following an incident where a young girl was knocked down outside her primary school, Dartford Council promised action would be taken.

Now Mr Kite has announced a "war on anti-social parking" campaign, which will trial measures to deal with thoughtless parking during drop-off and pick-up times.

Meeting with representatives from wards across the borough, Mr Kite discussed steps that could be considered to make sure children were safe when they travel to and from school.

Some of the ideas that may be trialled include a 20 mph speed limit to be imposed in 'problem' areas and an exclusion zone in the space closest to schools where only disabled drivers with blue badges will be able to park during drop off and pick up.

The group also plans to consult primary schools in Dartford about the issue with a questionnaire to hear their thoughts on how best to tackle the issue.

Justin Scrutton, who runs a chauffeur business in the area, called the meeting after seeing the aftermath of the schoolgirl hit by a car outside her school.

Speaking to News Shopper, he said: "It really touched me and upset me. I went home after seeing the incident and thought 'We've got to do something about this'."

He contacted the leader of the council and set up a Facebook Messenger group to invite people from across the borough to the meeting, held on Tuesday, April 3, to urgently look into the problem.

Jonathon Hawkes, leader of Labour on Dartford Council, welcomed the announcement but said concrete action must be taken now.

Speaking to News Shopper, he said: “Jeremy Kite has been leader of the council for over a decade. 

“I would find it surprising that he wouldn’t know what measures need to be taken.”

He also criticised Mr Kite for not including councillors in the discussions, saying the proposals "haven't gone anywhere near" elected representatives.

He has called for a cross-party solution to solve the problem, which he claims has “been building up for many years.”

Mr Hawkes added: “We already know what needs to be done, rather than having discussions.”