EDUCATION bosses have been slammed as "penny-pinching" by a teachers' leader after refusing to provide a travel escort service for pupils with behavioural problems.

Yvonne Dickinson says her 10-year-old son, Craig Sanderson, who travels to and from Horwich's Lever Park School every day by taxi, is regularly being attacked by the older boys he travels with.

Mrs Dickinson says her son regularly arrives home with bruises, but she has been told that the authority cannot provide escorts to supervise the children on the journey.

Mrs Dickinson, of Sunny Garth, Westhoughton, said: "This is all because the LEA has taken the cheapest tender for transport for children travelling to this school.

"My son is terrified to go in the taxi because he is with older boys.

"There should be a proper bus service, but at the very least they should have an escort because we are talking about kids with behavioural problems. There is no way I would let Craig travel on a bus on his own in other circumstances."

Bolton Education Authority says an escort service would "not be appropriate".

But the leader of one of the town's teaching unions, Tom Hanley, said the authority is "penny-pinching".

The NUT leader commented: "Teachers of children, whether they have difficulties or not, expect them to get into school without being bullied.

"If they have behavioural problems, it is paramount for them to come to school in as good a condition as when they left home. We are extremely concerned about this.

"I cannot for the life of me understand why the LEA do not provide an escort service. It is a pitiful example of penny-pinching where the need is absolutely clear."

An LEA spokesman said: "An escort service would not be the appropriate option.

"We have looked at a number of alternatives to help the pupil travel to school in a trouble free manner and have offered to pay mileage to Mrs Dickinson to take her son to school by car.

"We feel we have made a sensible offer to try to meet Mrs Dickinson's wishes. We are continuing to monitor the situation closely."

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