An increased intake of pupils at Bradford Girls’ Grammar School is being blamed for congestion chaos outside its gates.

Residents along Squire Lane and parents have been caught up in the early morning and home-time mayhem.

Cars have been parked up on both sides of the road on yellow lines, blocking driveways and taking up resident- only parking spaces.

Council wardens have been patrolling the street taking note of cars causing obstruction which residents say are also slowing down ambulances from nearby Bradford Royal Infirmary .

Resident Maureen Verity, 72, whose 77-year-old husband Brian, has emphysema, says parking has always been an issue on Squire Lane and Squire Green at peak school times but she has never seen it so bad.

She said: “We’ve had to ring the school to complain. It seems they haven’t put thought in to making plans for taking on more pupils. They need another entrance, a wider entrance or more car parking spaces to cope.

“They’ve got lovely facilities in there but this parking is a big problem for its neighbours and parents themselves.

“Our driveway was blocked off last week as well even though we’ve got a polite notice up asking people not to park across it.”

The leading independent school’s application to become a free school was approved by the education secretary Michael Gove in July.

One parent who contacted the Telegraph & Argus about the traffic congestion said: “What’s happened is that they are taking in hundreds of new pupils ready for when it becomes a free school next year and haven’t given any thought to the logisitcs. It’s not just the traffic volume that’s causing difficulties – lunchtimes were delayed the other day because they just didn’t have enough seats in the canteen for everyone.”

Bradford Girls’ Grammar School said it was sensitive to the views of residents and endeavoured to maintain a positive relationship with the community. A spokesman said: “Preliminary discussions with parents have highlighted a number of roadworks on Cemetery Road which are having a knock-on effect on the traffic build up around the school at the start and end of the day.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused to date and are in the process of reviewing traffic management procedures within and close to the school campus to try to decrease any congestion.”

Bradford West Area co-ordinator Bhulla Singh said: “We are aware of these issues and we deploy Council Wardens in this area every day to check that people are parking legally and safely. We will continue to monitor the area and the Council Wardens will not hesitate to take appropriate action against anyone they observe flouting the law.”

Sergeant Claire Smith, of Manningham and Toller Neighbour- hood Policing Team, said officers patrolled the area and would deal positively with issues highlighted to them.