Neighbours have warned daily traffic chaos on their street could have deadly consequences unless something is done.

Autumn Close in Enfield, a small residential cul-de-sac near the junction of the A10 and Carterhatch Lane, is also home to two schools - Carterhatch Junior School and Russet House School – and Carterhatch Childrens Centre.

As a result there is gridlock on the street every morning and afternoon, with cars and vans driving on pavements putting pedestrians at risk, blocking and damaging drives and parking on double yellow lines.

Margaret Canhan, who has lived on the road for 33 years, said they had complained to the council but described their response as “disinterested”.

The 69-year-old said: “It is really, really bad, these schools have been built but there is nowhere to park.

“People are parked all over the road, at dropping off and picking up times for the schools it is jammed solid, we have to go out and tell people where it is safe to turn their cars around.

“Coaches and cars are driving onto pavements, and the council turns a blind eye. If a child is knocked down and killed, who would be responsible?”

Ms Canhan said the problem has got so bad in recent years they have written to their MP, Joan Ryan, and councillors, but nothing has been done.

She said: “People park across our driveways, meaning my neighbours can’t get to work, I have missed hospital appointments and other engagements because of parked cars.

“I have to organise my life around it – I have to leave the house before 8am, and cannot return before half past four, otherwise there is no way out or in.”

Other neighbours have echoed Ms Canhan’s concerns.

Kiran, who wished only to give his first name, said he has lived on Autumn Close for 40 years, blamed a lack of forethought by the council in allowing so many schools and centres on a small street, and called for more parking spaces and stronger enforcement.

He said: “It is a nightmare at nine o’clock, every day.

“While I appreciate parents dropping off their young children at school, we also get large delivery vans visiting the schools in the morning, they are so massive they have to drive on the pavements, they are damaging people’s drives.

“These trucks cannot go into the school, so they park on the street and it blocks everyone. There is a simple solution – have them arrive earlier or later, but not at rush hour.

“When you can’t choose when to leave your own home, there is a big problem. It is frustrating, we have no peace.”

Another neighbour, Lynn Melling, added: “Twice a day we can’t get in or out. Why can’t these children take the bus or walk – they have legs don’t they?

“This used to be a lovely road, now it is terrible.”

Council cabinet member for environment Cllr Daniel Anderson said greater parking enforcement would be put in place on Autumn Close, and said he wanted to meet residents to discuss their concerns.

He said: “I have enormous sympathy with the residents of Autumn Close who have to put up with significant volumes of traffic along their road at school pick up and drop off times.

"This is an entirely avoidable problem caused by large numbers of parents who choose to drive their children to school when they could easily use alternative modes of transport.

“There is absolutely no excuse for extremely dangerous and irresponsible behaviour such as driving a vehicle on a pavement near a primary school and we will be asking the police to attend the school in the coming days in an effort to catch anyone stupid enough to endanger the lives of school children in this way.

“We also utterly condemn thoughtless activity from motorists such as blocking driveways or parking on the double yellow lines in Autumn Close, which were originally put in place to ensure the road was clear enough for emergency vehicles to use and we will take action if and when we catch drivers flouting these rules.

“We accept parents want to get their children to school safely, but we would encourage them to either use alternative methods of transportations, such as walking, cycling or using the bus – indeed there is a bus stop in the adjoining Carterhatch Lane.

"Alternatively, we would encourage parents, where possible, to either car share or arrive earlier in the morning and take advantage of the breakfast club at the school in order to reduce the burden on the roads in the area and the long-suffering residents who have to put up with gridlock in their quiet residential road twice a day.”