PARENTS could be fined up to £100 for parking too near schools - despite one Worcester headteacher labelling it "antagonistic".

From next month councils will have sweeping new powers to outlaw any activity which will have a "detrimental affect" on people's lives.

The so-called Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs), which launch from Monday, October 20, will see a greater range of on-the-spot fines dished out by council workers, PSCOs and police officers.

The Government wants councils to use the powers to draw up 'no parking zones' for non-residents around schools and dish out the penalties, although the PSPOs are flexible enough to be applied to nuisance charity street collectors, buskers and even beggars if need be.

Worcester City Council says it will be looking at the powers closely before deciding how to implement them.

Neil Morris, headteacher of Christopher Whitehead Language College in Bromwich Road, St John's said: "It's a really difficult issue, all schools have some absolute nightmare parents who park in the worst spots, but we also have many who make really difficult journeys to get here.

"There is a minority of people who spoil if for the majority, but most of my parents are fantastic.

"I really need my parents to be on board with me, we work better together and the last thing I want to do is antagonise them.

"The last time we did a survey 94 per cent of pupils either walked or cycled in, and a lot of the staff to do, but for some the distances are such that they have to travel by car."

The city council says it does not plan to take advantage of the extra powers immediately but will look carefully at PSPOs to see how they might be used in the long term.

A spokesman said: "We have no plans to implement additional PSPO powers in the near future, although we will be looking at this area closely.

"We recently worked with county council to review parking arrangements around every single school in Worcester, making changes where necessary."