A NEW row has flared in Hyndburn's trouble torn school bus services with bosses slamming unruly pupils. But teachers and parents say regular delays are to blame for problems. Stagecoach, which is being monitored on their school routes by Lancashire County Council, claim Hollins High schoolchildren have been so badly behaved that many of their drivers refuse to cover the service.

The school has instructed prefects to keep order on the service from Huncoat, and say the irregularity of buses has caused pupils to become rowdy.

Deputy headteacher Steve Roe said the bus was late several times a week.

"These problems didn't happen until the service was transferred from Hyndburn Ribble to Stagecoach in May," he said.

"Since then the buses have arrived late several times a week and, although we admit pupils have behaved badly, it is understandable in the circumstances."

Stagecoach Ribble's acting operations manager Harry Williams said: "We are in discussion with the school and steps have been taken to curb misbehaviour on the bus because some of our employees were refusing to drive on that route for fear of trouble.

"Just one driver will operate that service after half term and we hope that this will stabilise things.

"This service has been running late on many occasions and we are looking at the timing of the route to try to amend it."

Lorraine Whittaker, whose child attends Hollins High, said: "The bus is usually late, takes the wrong route or misses stops.

"Last Friday it dropped the schoolchildren off half an hour late - which is not unusual. And the children are upset because persistent late arrivals get detention."

Stagecoach Ribble Operations integrated with Hyndburn Transport in May and have since had problems maintaining their county council school contracts in Hyndburn, Blackburn and the Ribble Valley - put down to an 'unprecedented' number of staff resigning.

But the county council has already issued Stagecoach with three warnings and a crisis meeting is looming.

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