PARENTS picking up their children from a school got a colourful surprise yesterday.

A 12ft long black and yellow banner was unfurled by the children at the gates of Lingfield Primary School, Middlesbrough, highlighting the dangers of illegally parking at the school. The message - Keep Our Zig Zags Clear - was used to emphasise the problem and leaflets designed by the children were handed out to drivers.

Middlesbrough Council's assistant road safety officer, Lynn Hepworth, said: "The use of this banner follows problems across the town caused by parents parking on zig zag lines outside schools, as well as on pavements and in front of driveways. Surely a group of children holding the banner should appeal to motorists' consciences and make even the most hardened school gate parkers think twice."