A BOY of 11 was injured outside his school where parents were parked illegally on zig-zag lines, police have said.

It is the latest in a spate of incidents outside schools which prompted the Daily Echo to start its Parking Mad campaign.

The accident at Stourfield Junior School, Cranleigh Road, Southbourne, left the boy with pains in his back, neck and hip.

It happened at 8.40am as parents delivered children to the busy school site and was described by police as "a classic example of why zig-zag lines exist and why traffic markings are put in place outside schools".

A spokesman added: "Every driver should adhere to them to prevent these unnecessary collisions."

Headteacher Emma Rowson said: "I can confirm a junior school pupil was taken to hospital in an ambulance." But she said she could not confirm the incident had anything to do with illegal parking.

"We have been round to talk to the year six pupils about it. They have been very sensible and they have sent him a get well' card," she added.

"We do have problems with parking outside the school on occasions and we have said before there should be a 20mph limit."

South Western Ambulance service said the boy was put in a neck brace and taken on a spinal board to Poole Hospital, where it was understood he would be kept overnight.

As a result of yesterday's accident, a car was taken away by police for examination.

Officers are also trying to trace the driver of a white panel van which damaged the wing mirrors of an ambulance at the scene and failed to stop.

Just three months ago, inconsiderate parking by parents at the same school delayed an ambulance trying to reach a man having a heart attack.

The man, the grandfather of a pupil, collapsed in the school car park but the ambulance had difficulty getting to him because of the way people had parked.

And in October last year, a parent was injured in a collision with a car just outside the school gates.

The Daily Echo's Parking Mad campaign, which began in June last year, has encouraged the council to crack down on the problem.