PARENTS in some rural communities near Leominster may stage a school bus boycott. A cost-cutting move could put children at risk, they claim.

Some pupils at Luston Primary School will be forced to wait by the road at an accident blackspot, Ashton on the A49. A minibus, which provides a door-to-door service, is to be replaced by a 52 seater on a longer route.

Herefordshire Education Authority says it will save £8,000 a year by combining two school bus routes served by smaller vehicles.

Eventually, one big bus could pick up 41 youngsters, including some from Leominster. Parents are worried that children as young as four will spend up to two hours a day 'on the road' unsupervised.

The move has angered families at Ashton and on another part of the new route at Bircher Common. There, children currently get on a 'mini' bus near their homes.

But parents have been told the bigger bus will not be able to go to the normal collection point, a £1,600 new bus shelter by the common, because the vehicle won't be able to turn round.

Children - a number of who already walk some distance - will have to walk more than half a mile further on narrow Welshman's Lane (which has no footway) to the main road.

One of the parents, Yarpole group parish council chairman Greg Clare, said the bus turning claim was "rubbish." A big bus was used on the school run about once a week and turned round at the common without difficulty.

Congested

Mr Clare said: "Some of the parents say their children won't be using the bus. They say if they have to get the car out to drive children to the main road they may as well start out later and drive straight to school.

"There will be increase in traffic at Luston as a result. The approach to the school already gets congested."

At Ashton Cherry Griffiths who has two children using the bus and another child who will soon start school, has fears about the youngsters having to wait by the A49 and the much longer bus journey. Some small children would spend up to two hours a day on the bus unsupervised, she said.

The new service will make its first pick up in Leominster at 7.42am and arrive at Luston School at 8.40am. Leominster and Ashton children will pass through Luston but will not be dropped off at school - it will be too early. They will have to stay on the bus via Bircher, Yarpole and Lucton.

Mrs Griffiths said: "We've tried to get someone from the council out here to see what the problems are - but we are banging our heads against a brick wall."

Andrew Blackman, LEA admissions and transport officer, said the authority was spending £6 million a year on school buses.

"We have a responsibility to council taxpayers to spend their money wisely. By combining two routes we are going to save about £8,000 a year," he said.

"I understand where the parents are coming from - they have had a better than average service and now its changed. They will be getting the same service as everyone else. Many schoolchildren have to walk up to a mile to a bus boarding point."

A big bus was essential for the new plan. An alternative would be to deny school transport to Leominster children attending Luston as they were not strictly entitled to it.

The authority had tried to accommodate all users but it was difficult to please everyone, said Mr Blackman.

The council has agreed this week to review the situation.