PARENTS face travel chaos after being told by Wrexham Council their children will not be given bus passes for the new school year.

In several cases, parents were told their children had initially met the criteria for a free bus pass to travel to and from Ysgol Bryn Alyn, but this offer was subsequently rescinded after the council admitted they had miscalculated the distance of the route.

Chris Morgan, from New Broughton, said his son Robert had been told he was eligible for a bus pass on July 11, in an e-mail sent by David Bithell, Education Transport Planning Officer, which said a re-calculation of the route meant Ysgol Bryn Alyn was the closest school to their home.

However, just six days later, in another e-mail sent by Mr Bithell, he explained that further checks had been made because "a flood of complaints" had been received by other parents with the result being the 'nearest available gate' to the Morgan's home actually one at Ysgol Clywedog, with the difference being a matter of metres.

Mr Morgan said: "Isn't it funny how after a number of complaints and appeals our son no longer qualifies for the free bus?

"The Clywedog route shows you having to walk along the Brymbo link road, which has no paths and crossing two slip roads onto a dual carriageway, so yes Ysgol Clywedog would be closer walking that way but even I certainly wouldn’t walk that way never mind asking a child to walk it."

Up to 19 parents have received letters telling them their children aren't eligible for a bus pass because Ysgol Bryn Alyn is not deemed to be the closest school to where they live.

They include Janine Pettigrew, who lives on the same estate as Mr Morgan, and Catherine Pritchard, who lives in Millfields, who has been handed the double blow of her son Joseph not being eligible for a free bus pass, or even a concessionary seat, despite the fact her daughter receives a free assisted bus pass until 2019 to attend Bryn Alyn.

She said: "I am 0.182 miles short, which works out at about 47 steps distance between the two schools.

"The walking route proposed by the council is simply too dangerous, there is no street lighting on parts of it and there are several sharp, hairpin bends, so it's simply not suitable for pedestrians.

"No matter what you say to the council, they're just not willing to budge on anything and to me, there seems to be a lack of cohesion between the education and transport departments."

Miss Pritchard said she was more than willing to pay for a concessionary seat for her son, despite the fact the cost of these has now risen from £50 to £100 per term, but has been told no seats are available in a letter dated August 7.

She added: "I've been told to contact the school to ask them about transport they may be providing, despite it being the summer holidays and the school being closed.

"Life's meant to get easier as your kids get older, but that's certainly not the case for me."

A spokesman for Wrexham Council said concessionary seats are only offered where there are any spare seats on existing transport and parents are informed they may not be in a position to confirm a seat, or otherwise until mid/late September and should make alternative arrangements.

They said: "The Authority has a statutory duty to transport pupils to their nearest school if the walking distance is over three miles for Secondary or two miles for Primary.

"If the pupil does not qualify as above - the pupil is not attending their nearest school - then it is parental responsibility to ensure that their child is taken to school."

Nobody from Bryn Alyn School was available for comment as the school is currently closed for the summer holidays.