Neighbourhood policing officers in Bradford are starting their shifts an hour earlier to help make children safer by tackling parking problems on the school run.

Uniformed officers are providing a high-profile presence to focus both pupils and parents in vehicles on safety, after they were alerted to parking issues.

Manningham and Toller Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) officers are now starting their early shifts at 7am instead of 8am, allowing them to cover school opening times.

The Manningham and Toller NPT said, on its website: “We hope to be more present in the mornings outside schools and again in the afternoons when we can. We hope this will help to reduce the anti-social parking issues and improve the safety for children when entering and leaving school.”

Inspector Steve Dodds, of the NPT, said: “We looked at how we could best utilise our time and resources to meet the needs and priorities of the local community.

“The school run is clearly one of the busiest times of the day and a period in which we were receiving a number of calls specifically around parking issues. In order to alleviate those problems, officers agreed to begin their shift an hour earlier, providing a visible presence for both pupils and motorists.

“Since the changes were put in place, we have advised a number of drivers and issued tickets where appropriate.

“The move has been well received by parents who we have spoken to whilst dropping off their children.

“The Neighbourhood Policing Team is dedicated to ensuring safety around schools and we will continue to monitor those areas experiencing problems.”

Officers have been covering Whetley Lane Primary, Miriam Lord, Lilycroft Primary, St Cuthberts and Margaret McMillan in Scotchman Road, among others.