A FOUR-year-old boy could be facing a walk of almost three miles to and from school every day - because he is too young for a free bus pass.

Harrison Cooper is due to start at Flyford Flavell First School in September - five months before his fifth birthday.

Until his birthday, mum Melanie has been told she must fork out £67 for transport from their Bishampton home, 2.9 miles away or face the hike.

"Harrison is one of the 'rising fives' the Government is encouraging," said Mrs Cooper. "We had a letter saying they wanted £67 for a term and I thought I'd read it wrong.

"It's ridiculous because the school bus is a single-decker coach and there are only ever a maximum of 20 kids on it by the end of the journey."

Mrs Cooper says the winding country road to the school has no footpaths and is unsafe for Harrison to walk.

Instead, she is looking into borrowing her mother's car every day, but foresees problems.

"The bottom line is that I can't afford the £67," she said. "I'll have to borrow my mum's car to get him to and from school and she has to take it into Worcester every Thursday to pick up my niece and nephew so what will Harrison do?"

To add insult to injury, the Coopers have also been told they live 175 yards too far down the road for a free pass after Harrison's eighth birthday.

Worcestershire County Council pays for free travel to school for over-eights who live more than three miles from their school and for under-eights who live more than two miles away.

But the Coopers measured the distance from their doorstep to the school on their tripometer and found they were a stone's throw from the boundary.

"If we lived three doors down we'd be all right," added Mrs Cooper, "At this rate I'll have to get my mum to look after him."

Geoff Kerr, of Worcestershire passenger and free transport unit, said there would be no bending of the rules.

"There is no legal requirement for a child to attend school until he is five, when we would have to pay for his travel," he said.

"He has been offered a place on the school bus but will have to pay until the January term when he will qualify for free travel until he is eight.

"We're a transport unit implementing the policy handed down by the Transportation Committee. We can't change the policy."