By David Carnduff

A school bus driver has hit out angrily over a parking "nightmare" outside a Dumbarton primary school.

Daniel Henderson, a driver with McColl's Buses, says parents are hogging all the parking spaces outside St Patrick's during the school run

This is forcing him to park his bus in the middle of a busy road which puts the children at risk when they alight.

He told the Reporter: "The parking is selfish and dangerous - the parents don't care that there is no safe place for the bus to park.

"It's a very busy road with cars coming and going - something will have to be done before a child is hurt getting off the bus."

Now questions are being asked after parking bays were created in a layby outside the Crosslet Road school in the past week or two - but without a dedicated space for the bus.

This has led bus boss Liam McColl to ask who agreed to create the parking bays and he has sought answers from West Dunbartonshire Council.

He told the Reporter: "We don't know who painted the bays - there doesn't seem to have been any consultation - and why is there no space for the bus?

"It's a very busy road, with people trying to get to their work, and Dumbarton Academy is situated close by.

"Our driver has to park in the middle of the road. It's not a nice situation. But in some respects I don't blame the parents on the school run because they see spaces have been created and they are parking there. But we have to ensure the children get to school safely.

"Our driver had an issue when someone cut out in front of him."

Daniel picks up children in his 35 seater bus at Campbell Avenue and drives to the school via the Garshake lights.

But he says by the time he gets to the school all the space on both sides of the road have been taken by parents.

He said: "The kids on the bus are great. They put on their seatbelts and won't get off the the bus till I tell them - but when they get to the school the traffic is a nightmare and I really fear for their safety.

"I am responsible for getting these kids to school safely - safety is my top priority - but I have seen so many near misses with parents driving carelessly."

Daniel, a doting grandad to six boys, added: "It would kill me if one of these kids got hurt. A wee tot with a soft body would have no chance against a big 4x4. The wean would be crushed."

He said dropping the kids at Dumbarton Academy and letting them make a five-minute walk to the primary school would not be an option.

He said: "The bus company are not insured to do this and, if we did, we would lose the contract."

Daniel said previous pleas for a dedicated bus bay had failed, and he added: "We have been ignored too long over this - the council has to act now."

This week, West Dunbartonshire Council said school staff and the council's road safety team had taken a proactive approach to the issue.

A spokesperson said: “This has included text alerts and leaflets, to remind parents and carers to park considerately and safely when attending the school.

"We also encourage walking and cycling and have a school travel plan in place. As illegal parking is a police matter, we would urge residents to report it to Police Scotland.”