REPLACEMENT bus services have been found to take hundreds of Somerset children to school after a bus company announced it would be ceasing to operate.

Somerset County Council (SCC) has stepped in to organise alternative transport for children at four Somerset schools after bus company, Coombs Travel, told them that they would not be operating services from today (October 4).

Children from The King Alfred School in Highbridge, Kings of Wessex Secondary School in Cheddar, Hugh Sexeys Middle School in Blackford and Fairlands Middle School in Cheddar will be travelling to school on a different bus service today which will be run by a new operator.

A spokesman for SCC said the council is working to make permanent arrangements as soon as possible and said schools and parents are being notified and updated about the operator changes.

Councillor John Woodman, Cabinet member for Highways and Transport, said: “This is an unfortunate situation completely out of our hands that we have had to respond to with no notice.

“We have done everything we can to avoid disruption and I’d like to say a big thank you to the operators and our staff who have pulled together to make sure there are services to get the children to school.

“Hopefully it will all work smoothly from tomorrow, but we’d ask for parents for extra patience and please keep checking for updates."