ANXIOUS parents and teachers fear that pupils may miss vital GCSE examinations because of unreliable Stagecoach school bus services.

Schools in Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley have met county council officials after receiving dozens of complaints about buses coming late or driving past stops, single deckers arriving instead of double, and increased fares.

They are extremely concerned for pupils taking public examinations, many of which start today, as regulations laid down by external examining bodies mean schools can only postpone the exams for up to half an hour.

Pupils arriving later may not be admitted.

Hollins High School, Accrington, was today sending a newsletter to parents explaining the school had no control over the buses and asking parents to write directly to Stagecoach Ribble.

Last week, some youngsters at Hollins missed the start of their SATs examinations and one pupil had an asthma attack after panicking because of a late bus. Peter Martin, deputy headteacher at St Christopher's CE High School, Accrington, said more than 1,000 pupils' journeys had been affected.

Eleven youngsters travelling from Fence to the school on Friday were left stranded at a bus stop, and parents at nearby Wheatley Lane Methodist School rallied round and helped with transport.

Mr Martin warned: "If pupils cannot make their public examinations, it may have severe repercussions on their future."

Anthony McNamara, headteacher at St Augustine's RC High School, Billington, said he had received more complaints from parents about buses in the past few weeks than any other aspect of school life.

He said: "Children taking GCSE exams have enough to worry about.

"The last thing they need is problems with transport."

A county council spokesman said discussions were now taking place with Stagecoach. Stagecoach Ribble managing director Michael Chambers said the problems began following the closure of the Accrington bus depot when an "unprecedented" number of staff resigned, combined with 16 drivers off sick.

He said: "We could not just click our fingers and recruit professional drivers.

"Since then we have had a major recruitment campaign and 18 new drivers are now operating.

"Unfortunately there have been one or two incidents where they have, quite understandably, taken a wrong turn, are unsure of routes or the ticket machine and have been driving more slowly.

"I am sorry to say they have turned up at schools 20 minutes late and in some cases later still.

"We have apologised and spoken directly to the schools concerned and to the county council.

"It has been a traumatic couple of weeks but school services are our number one priority and I am very confident that everything is now in order."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.