CONCERNS have been raised over over road safety outside Galashiels' largest primary.

Langlee residents have hit out at parents parking their cars on yellow lines near the new £10 million school.

Speaking at Wednesday's community council meeting, locals told new headteacher Eileen Jessamine of the problems youngsters are facing.

One parent told the group: "I have not got a child at the school but I am a mother and I constantly see parents parking on yellow lines.

"And with work going on, more and more contractors in lorries are going down the road. Some were shouting at parents to keep clear of the road.

"It's making things really hard for kids to get across the road safely. I don't want to have to scrape a child up off the road.

"I think safety is a massive concern. Last year at one of these meetings I was told by a councillor that it is up to the parents to get their kids to school safely, but does a P7 pupil really want to walk to school with their parents? We need to ensure it is safe for children."

Galashiels and District councillor Sandy Aitchison said inresponsible parking was a problem at "every school in the Borders".

He added: "Just the other day I saw a person who in the school entrance at St Peter's where there was kids about.

"And when I told him he just said: 'I'm not parking, I'm turning around'. that was in the school entrance.

"The problem is not just at Langlee, we face the same problem at Balmoral, Glendinning, the Burgh... all the schools in Galashiels have the problem."

Also at the meeting was Martin Joyce, director of assets and infrastructure at Scottish Borders Council, who said he would look into the matter.

Mr Joyce said: "When we are building a new school like Langlee, we do put a lot of thought into things. I can assure you that safety is fundamentally the key issue.

"I will see the project team and speak with the main contractor McLaughlin & Harvey to see if there is something we can do to help tell parents what they should be doing."