A TEENAGER fears her future is under threat - because transport options to reach colleges offering courses she wants to do are non-existent.

Alice Cockburn fears many other youngsters will also be affected as budgets are squeezed and students living in some areas of North Yorkshire, particularly the Dales, are offered limited choices.

The 15-year-old lives in Bedale, where the High School does not offer post-16 education, and she wants to pursue BTech courses on offer at York and Harrogate.

However the only transport option channels her towards Darlington College, which does not offer the courses she wants.

Now with the help of her family she’s calling on North Yorkshire County Council to look again at transport options, as well as approaching colleges and appealing for help to local MP Rishi Sunak.

Alice said information on all college courses was given out with careers information at school but it is not possible to get to many of them. To get to York the bus leaves Northallerton at 7.30am.

But the earliest public transport will not get her to Northallerton until 7.54am and even youngsters trying to get to Northallerton College, which largely offers A-level courses, cannot get there by public transport until after 9am registration, unless they are prepared to hang around in Northallerton for 50 minutes before school.

“I do not think this is fair,” said Ms Cockburn. “I want to be able to attend an appropriate college to suit my learning choices. I would be very willing to start my college day early if I could get public transport to help me link into the college pick-up point but I can't, as there is no suitable public transport."

A spokesman for the county council said there was no statutory requirement to provide free transport for post-16s, but help was given so students could get to sixth forms or colleges designated to serve their area. In Bedale they say transport is available to Northallerton School and Sixth Form and Darlington College.

The spokesman added: "In circumstances where parents or students prefer an alternative school or college to those designated it is expected that they will make the appropriate transport arrangements and meet the costs themselves.”