A SCHOOL bus driver allowed a five-year-old girl to get off at her stop in a country lane knowing no one was there to collect her.

Isla Gordon's mother Harriet is furious that her frightened daughter was left to walk home alone, claiming she was abandoned.

But Herefordshire Council, which is responsible for school transport, says that the driver acted correctly.

It says it sympathises with Isla's plight but reminded parents of their responsibilities in accompanying children to and from bus stops.

Isla, a pupil at Ashperton Primary School, is usually met by her mum after being dropped off by the school bus about 380 yards from their home.

But Mrs Gordon, who says she was due to meet Isla at the normal time, was stunned when she spotted her tearful daughter walking up the lane towards their home at Stretton Grandison.

Mrs Gordon fumed: "A five-year-old is too young to be left in any circumstances, particularly to be allowed to walk home on their own.

"Isla is not even allowed out of the garden on her own at any time.

"I never leave my five-year-old unattended. She's too young. I have never before come across this breach in childcare. She was crying and kept saying there was no one to meet her. For her to be suddenly abandoned, it's not surprising she was so scared."

Mrs Gordon says the school bus normally arrives at the stop at about 3.45pm.

"The bus company claim I was late, but when I was walking to the bus stop, I saw Isla on the brow of the hill and we ran back to the house to check the time. It was before 3.45pm, so the bus was running earlier that day," she said.

Mrs Gordon, of New House Farm, would rather a bus driver was five minutes later at a stop, rather than abandoning a young child.

"It's slightly different circumstances if the child is a 10 or 11-year-old. Five years of age is beyond the pale. What would have happened had something been seriously wrong with me?"

Crossing

Andrew Blackman, admissions and transport officer at Herefordshire Council, said an interview with the driver and the school showed the bus left the school on time and delivered Isla to the usual drop-off point at the normal time. The bus driver had to continue on his route with other children still on board.

"When the bus arrived at Isla Gordon's drop-off point, the bus driver waited until Isla had crossed the road safely and had started walking down the lane leading to her home," he said.

The Code of Good Practice for School Transport, issued by the LEA to parents, schools and operators, requires that parents be punctual and recommends children know what to do if a vehicle is late or doesn't arrive.