A FATHER claims his local education authority will not give his daughter a bus pass to get to school because she is not Catholic.

James Robinson has accused Durham County Council of discriminating against his 12-year-old step-daughter, Emily, because it will not give her a seat on the school bus.

Mr Robinson, from Fairlawn Avenue, Leeholme, near Bishop Auckland, said he had even offered to pay for a seat on the bus to St John's Roman Catholic School so his daughter could get to and from school safely.

He said: "We live too far away for her to walk and I won't allow her to because in this day and age anything can happen."

Mr Robinson said that his daughter was taken out of another town centre school because she was bullied and that she had been happy at St John's.

He said: "The reason the council has given for not giving her a bus pass is that she is not Catholic. I find that insulting in this day and age. You expect that in Northern Ireland, but not here."

The 52-year-old, who is on long-term sick leave, said he and his wife Jane, 35, are unable to drive Emily to school and he has two other younger children who go to primary school in Coundon.

He said: "She had a concessionery seat last year but when she went back to school she was told she would be unable to use the bus again without a pass.

"When I rang the council they said she would not be getting a pass this year. Apparently if they cannot give everyone a seat on the bus then they don't give any concessionery tickets at all."

He said: "The bus goes past my street half empty every day and yet she cannot get on it. If I have to I will keep her away from school until this is sorted out. All I want is to get my daughter to and from school safely."

A spokesperson for Durham County Council said that it was unable to give Emily a pass because she "did not fit the criteria"