A single mum claims she is being forced to send her two young children to school without car seats - putting their lives at risk.

Cheryl Burnham, of Tildesley Road, Putney, said she currently has no choice but to send Kyian, five, and three-year-old Sienna to Heathmere Primary School without car seats because staff refuse to store the appliances at the Alton Road school.

Ms Burnham works 12-hour shifts at Heathrow Airport two to three days a week and often relies on carers to take or pick up her children.

Until April this year, Kyian had been taking his car seat into school with him so he would be prepared to travel home safely, whoever was picking him up.

However, Ms Burnham said this seat was thrown away by staff - prompting a three month chase for compensation, which she secured in July.

Ms Burnham has now been told that neither Kyian nor newly-enrolled Sienna can store their car seats in the school or bike shed.

The 28-year-old said: “It’s a legal requirement for children in a car.

“I’m now endangering my children and breaking the law because they cannot have a car seat.”

A spokesman for the school said he “sympathised” with Ms Burnham’s situation, but added: "We have been advised by solicitors that if the seat was damaged in any way whilst being kept at school, and was subsequently involved in an accident and found to be defective, then the school could be held liable.

"We cannot put the school and its budget at that kind of risk of being sued, so reluctantly we have had to say no.

"If the parent needs a spare booster seat, seeing as they are relatively inexpensive, it would be much better if she could buy one for her childminder to keep."

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