Five-year-old waiting to start school after transport dispute

7:41am Tuesday 15th July 2008

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A FIVE-YEAR-OLD boy has waited nearly four weeks to start at his new school while his mother argues with officials over who should pay for his transport.

The row keeping Jamie Bell at home in Escomb, County Durham, is over a disputed few yards.

This is the difference between the 1.91 miles Durham County Council estimates as his daily journey, and the two miles actual driving distance to the Evergreen School, in Bishop Auckland.

The authority's route follows a combination of roads and a path, bringing the distance below the two-mile threshold for free transport.

With no car, Jamie's mother Kelly hoped he would be allocated a taxi and was stunned when the council refused.

She is waiting for the result of a second appeal and is concerned she may be prosecuted for keeping him at home during the wrangle.

Taking Jamie to Bishop Auckland by bus would cost her £8 a day, and the pair would still have a long walk from the nearest bus stop to the school.

Her difficulties are compounded because she also has to get her seven-year-old daughter, Demi, to Escomb Primary School.

She said: "It's daft. It's exactly two miles from my house to the school gate so my argument is that Jamie qualifies for transport.

"If I took him I would be on the road most of the day and I would be worried about getting back for Demi.

"Jamie has learning difficulties and very poor eyesight so he has real problems.

"I can't see him ever being able to travel on his own."

The county council's head of access and inclusion services, Maureen Clare, said yesterday: "Where there are exceptional circumstances, for example if a child has mobility problems, we can consider applications where the distance is two miles or less.

"In this instance, the appeal as to whether any exceptional circumstances apply is being considered, and a response will be made to the family as soon as possible."