The Headteacher of Lea Primary School, Linda Townsend, has given a damning verdict on the changes Herefordshire Council has made to school transport in the county.

In a letter written to parents explaining the changes to the system which will come into effect in September, Linda Townsend called the decision "a sad day for our county".

From September parents who continue to choose to send their children to a school which is not their nearest, even if it is their catchment school, will be charged £720 in transport fees.

Mrs Townsend told the Ross Gazette: "For those families with more than one child in secondary education, who have no private mode of transport as an alternative to the bus, amounts in excess of £1400 need to be found from September. This is hardly a level playing field and does not allow parental choice for all.Read the full story in this week's Ross Gazette