CHILDREN as young as four will be left to take the bus to school alone because of fresh council cuts.

Parents whose children travel to school on buses provided by the council currently have someone supervising them to keep them safe and control their behaviour.

But Essex County Council has announced that it will be axing funding for the supervisors, as they are not a legal requirement.

Parents at St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, Loughton, have raised a petition against the cuts, labelling them unsafe.

Sharon Hyde, 44, whose nine-year-old daughter Eleanor gets the bus to the school from Abridge, said: “I think it's unsafe. The driver is there to drive the coach safely, not to keep an eye on the children.

“I appreciate that they're cutting costs, but when it comes to safety and children, that shouldn't be an issue.”

About half the children who attend the school take the bus there, as it is the only Catholic primary school in the area and many children are entitled to free transport.

Parent Julia Willis, 41, sends her seven-year-old daughter Ruby to school on the bus from their home in Barn Mead, Theydon Bois.

“Anyone with children knows that even if you just have two children in the back of the car, they're going to be arguing,” she said. “If they go ahead and stop the bus escorts, I think more people will drive their children to school, which will have a knock-on effect for the area.”

One of the supervisors, Tina Gable, 50, has worked for Chigwell Cars, which provides the bus service from Theydon Bois, for eight years, but her position is funded by the council.

“I'm a first-aider and I've had to deal with children being sick, bullying and a child choking,” she said. “I make sure they put their seatbelts on and keep them on. You've just got to be on top of it.”

The county council's executive director of children, schools and families, Dave Hill, wrote to parents about the cuts, saying they were welcome to send him their comments.

“I would like to assure all concerned that a child's specific individual needs are paramount and will always dictate whether an escort is provided on their school transport,” he added.