TWO girls who make daily journeys across the Welsh border have lost their places on a school bus.

Rob Barker, father of Emily, nine, and Victoria, eight, paid Herefordshire Council for seats on a bus which takes his daughters from Wormbridge to Much Birch Primary School. But after he paid £250 for the term, the council withdrew the seats.

“We live half-a-mile in Monmouthshire and we have been taking our children to Wormbridge nursery, where they have been taking a bus to Much Birch,” said Mr Barker, who lives in Grosmont.

“Obviously, we are not very happy about this as it means disruption to our family life. It’s going to cost me a fortune and it’s disrupting my children’s education.”

But the council says it was made clear that seats could be withdrawn. Rob Reid, school planning and access manager, said if parents chose to take their child to a school other than their nearest or designated one, transport was their responsibility.

He added that one bus was now used to transport children to both the new Steiner Academy, formerly the Waldorf School in Much Dewchurch, and Much Birch Primary School, which are close together.

“In September, the Hereford Steiner Academy became part of the maintained sector, which means that children using the Steiner school now have the same entitlement as other children using state education in the county,” he said.

“The local authority operates a vacant seats system where parents can pay a fee to occupy a vacant seat on a school bus.

“It is made clear to parents that this can only happen if there is a vacant seat and that this right can be withdrawn at any time.”

Any fees will be refunded proportionately.