A POLICE van was seen parked in a bus lane just moments after officers had fined a tearful Fenland mother for dropping her children off in the same spot.

Parents wept on Friday as police dished out four fines and breathalysed two drivers during a zero-tolerance crackdown on illegal parking outside Cavalry Primary School in March.

But minutes after handing out a �30 fine to a mother for stopping in the bus lane, a police van parked in the same spot to pick up its officers.

Disabled driver Christine Reesby, 61, took pictures of the police van after she was given a ticket for dropping her grandchildren off at a different spot outside the school.

She said: “I actually stopped still, stood and took the pictures with my mobile phone because it’s ridiculous. He could have waited a few minutes or gone further up the road, but instead he parked in the bus way.

“It’s complete double standards. They can’t agree what’s right and what’s wrong.”

A police spokesman said that no offence had been committed as stopping in the bus lane was only prohibited during certain times of the day.

The spokesman said: “The van used the bus drop-off zone to pick up a number of PCSOs. It was outside of the arrival and departure times so there was no offence being committed.”

One mother, who was also fined, said the police approach had been “heavy-handed” and that they had “victimised people instead of coming and explaining to them what they should do”.

And Mrs Reesby added: “Some officers had parents in tears while others were approaching people, discussing it and giving them the opportunity to move. There was no consistency.

“While the officer was writing me a ticket, I was pointing out that there were other cars parking on the bend.

“It was like a piggy bank down there. It wasn’t a safety exercise it was about making money with tickets. Some were moved on and some were given tickets, so why some and not others?

“The trouble with Cavalry School is that if you apply the whole Highway Code there’s no place you can park - there’s junctions, dropped kerbs, bends, driveways and no road markings.”

Friday’s safety impact day was a response to a host of complaints from concerned parents about the dangers of the nearby roads, with daily chaos during school runs.

The police spokesman added: “We had been clamping down on drivers parking illegally outside the school during specific times of the school day.

“We had warned motorists prior to the day of action today, however many were still caught parking illegally and inconsiderately.

“The area outside the school should be a safe place for children to walk and we will continue to target those drivers who flout the rules of the road.”