A COUNCIL has apologised after youngsters were refused places on a school bus.

About eight pupils of St Leonard's Roman Catholic Comprehensive School, in Durham City, were turned away by the driver when they tried to get on at Quebec on Tuesday, even though they had been given passes by Durham County Council.

The youngsters were ineligible for transport as they are not Catholic and St Leonard's is not their nearest school. Concessionary travel is available to pupils in this category if there are spare places on a bus, but the council got the numbers wrong.

A council spokesman said: "These kids have got concessionary passes in error. A letter is going out telling parents this. We are sorry for any inconvenience that has been caused. As a gesture of goodwill and an expression of regret at what happened, for the rest of this week and next week, we are able to offer a concessionary seat on another vehicle."

Amanda Cowie, of Quebec, whose 11-year-old son Christian was one of the youngsters involved, said: "Just to leave that many children there waiting on the bus stand was disgraceful."