15929/02FAMILIES are threatening to take the law into their own hands over traffic problems in roads leading to St John's upper school in Marlborough.

Headteacher Patrick Hazlewood acknowledges the situation is bad. "The fact there has not been a serious accident there is nothing short of a miracle," he said.

Families living on Cherry Orchard and Orchard Road say congestion at school arrival and departure times is creating dangerous situations where buses full of children have to reverse to avoid log jams.

On Friday security officer Vic Bilton, who lives in Cherry Orchard, put his car across the road for a few minutes in a token protest at the twice-daily gridlock.

Other residents said they feel as strongly about the situation and are tempted to do the same.

Mr Bilton, 62, and his wife Kay, 63, say they have difficulty parking because of students' cars parked all along the road.

Mrs Bilton says it is vital she parks close to her home to take her 95-year-old father Ken Dash, who lives with them and walks with the aid of a Zimmer frame, on essential trips.

Mr Bilton has put up printed signs outside his home with wheelchair signs saying: "No parking in front of gate disabled person in residence."

He said he had tried to speak to students to ask them not to park outside his home but usually received a rude response.

Mr Bilton said students parked right on the corners and were never booked. "The parked cars block the road and leave nowhere for anyone to pull in," he said. "That means the buses have to reverse right back along the road before they can pass each other."

Welder Graham Rix, who has lived in Orchard Road since 1998, agreed the situation was a nightmare. He said: "I have a job to get out to go to work. If I do not leave before quarter past eight I have to leave it until nearly nine o'clock because it's impossible to get my van out and turn it round in between."

Mr Rix added: "When the school is on holiday it's like a holiday for us as well because there is no traffic."

Students arriving in their cars told the Gazette that they could not use the regular school buses because as they were doing A levels they were only at school for part of the day.

One student who drove in from Ramsbury said: "We have asked for parking at the school but we don't get anywhere. They just say there is no room and it's up to us to find somewhere for our cars."

Dr Hazlewood said senior students had been urged to park considerately and the only long-term solution was the opening of the new single site school when, he said, there would be some student parking.