A PARENT is fighting for a dedicated bus to her daughter's school because she claims children are at risk by walking home in the dark.

Alison Wescott, a parent governor at Falmer High School, Lewes Road, Brighton, believes it is unfair that there is no bus service to the school from the Bevendean estate.

She has written to both Brighton and Hove Council and Brighton and Hove Bus Company voicing her concerns.

She said that the situation is made worse because youngsters have to cross the busy dual carriageway to get to the public bus stop in the afternoons and often buses do not stop to pick them up.

Mrs Wescott, of Upper Bevendean Avenue, said: "It is getting dark now and children are walking home because there isn't a bus or they don't want to wait for the public one. It seems unfair that there are two buses from Bevendean to Patcham High School and none to Falmer.

Mrs Wescott is being backed by teachers.

Peter White, Falmer High School finance manager and clerk to the governors, said: "At the moment we have 50 children coming from Bevendean who are let out at 3pm and have to wait to get on public buses. They can wait up to 40 minutes because buses don't stop or they are full, which is ridiculous."

A Brighton and Hove Council spokeswoman said: "There isn't the money available for a designated bus because the budgets have been spent. We are currently reviewing all the school buses as part of the Best Value on Transport review which will determine contracts for the next financial year."

Brighton and Hove Bus Company managing director, Roger French, said: "School bus services are not viable.

"To run a service of that kind we would be dependent on winning a tender from the council for a subsidy."

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