AS the faith school transport drama reaches a possible conclusion today (Thursday), a 14-year-old girl has started a campaign to save her school bus in another part of Herefordshire.

Bethany Smith is organising meetings, writing petitions and investigating "all other possibilities" to keep the 16-seater bus which takes her and her colleagues from their Golden Valley hamlets to Fairfield High School.

The Wormbridge teenager said: "I think the council is being quite selfish. Just because it has money problems should not mean we have to suffer."

The council responded by saying that, as Fairfield was not Bethany's closest school, there had been a chance that the "supplementary" service could be withdrawn.

Transport and admissions officer Jackie O' Connor said: "Herefordshire Council has always made it clear to parents who use the Allensmore to Fairfield High School bus via Ewyas Harold and Abbeydore under the Vacant Seat Payment Scheme (VSPS) that it is a supplementary service which the council could review and withdraw at any time.

"The council has a statutory duty to supply transport to children who are attending their nearest provided school, but has no obligation to provide transport to parents who send their children to schools of their choice that are not their locally provided council school.

"By terminating the contract we are able to save £14, 000 per year."

Bethany's mother, Jane - who pays £100 per month for her daughter to use the bus - said their nearest school, Kingstone, did not have spare places.

"So what are we to do?" she asked.

"The other kids in the same position are asking Bethany for advice."