A Brondesbury Park father who has accrued a dozen parking tickets dropping off his children at school is calling on the council to stop penalising parents.

Rainer Grupe, who lives in Chambers Lane, is calling on Brent Council to bring back a parking scheme which allowed parents from Salusbury Primary School, in Salusbury Road, like him, to park for free on neighbouring roads during school run times.

He has won the support of his local Conservative representative, Cllr Carol Shaw, who accuses the Labour run council of “targeting parents”.

Mr Grupe, who has two children, said: “Apart from fighting Brent Council over dozens of parking tickets that were issued while dropping off my two children at school, I’m also lobbying the council to bring back a scheme where local parents could park for free in Kingswood Avenue during their school runs.

“I could have paid 20p for a meter but there’s often no parking spaces and then you’re late. Or the Ringo app isnt working. But when you are doing school runs 400 to 500 times a year there are bound to be days where that happens.

“Instead of ticketing the parents, the council should increase traffic safety for the school children - its a very dangerous place to be crossing over Salusbury Road in-between the HGVs and speeding vehicles and it’s wrong to think all pupils can walk.”

Cllr Shaw, said: “Wardens give out parking tickets like smarties. I don’t know why schools are being targeted. But I do know that’s what the parents feel – their only crime is being a parent and dropping their children off. It’s absurd.”

Cllr Eleanor Southwood, cabinet member for the environment, said the council “works hard to promote more sustainable ways of travel for school runs.

“In each case, Mr Grupe left his vehicle parked illegally when he could have paid 20p to park. Parking restrictions are there to improve road safety. The council is obliged to take action to ensure that restrictions are adhered to and that pedestrians are kept safe,” she said.