ANGRY parents of schoolchildren have accused Worcestershire County Council of putting cash savings before the safety of their youngsters.

The criticism is of Worcestershire County Council's plans to cut free bus services for pupils at Evesham's St Egwins Middle School, and Harvington First School who live less than two miles from each school.

The cuts would save the authority £59,153 a year on the education transport budget.

Samantha Munden, of St Egwins Road, Norton, is one of the parents affected. She has three children, Brandon, aged 10, who attends St Egwins, Danielle, aged seven, who goes to Harvington and her youngest Kelly, aged three, who is set to go to Harvington in September.

She said: "You cannot put a price on children's safety. I would rather keep my children off school than see them walk miles.

"They will be stranded. They are too young to walk to school on their own. They could be snatched. It's disgusting the council is doing this."

She added: "What about Sarah Payne, Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells? Everyone knows what happened to them and we're expected to let our children walk to school. If it's raining, the children get to school shattered and filthy, not really set for a day at school."

Brian Tarling, chairman of governors at Harvington First School, added: "It is a busy road between Norton and Harvington, with 40mph speed limits and 50mph limits between Norton Grange roundabout and the approach to Harvington village, including the S bend at Tithe Barn Farm."

Kate Bradley, communications officer at Worcestershire County Council said: "Free school transport in the area was originally laid on because the walking route to school was considered unsafe. The Wyre Piddle bypass has taken a lot of traffic out of the village and reassessing the situation has led to the walking route being classified as safe."

Coun Derek Prodger, cabinet member for the environment at Worcestershire County Council, added: "We can only deal with individual cases of specific walking routes and, as a public authority that has to apply criteria strictly across the board.

"It would be difficult for us to make exceptions every time situations such as these present families with problems.

"However, as a caring council, it would be wrong of us to dismiss the situation out of hand and I talk to my fellow cabinet members on what can be done about families that find themselves in difficulty."