THE ISSUE of safe walking routes to schools will be raised by councillors later this week following a row about children losing free transport to one comprehensive.

Durham County Council's cabinet will discuss a review of the policy regarding hazardous routes to schools and free transport arrangements.

The review was undertaken after objections from parents of pupils from the village of Leadgate who attend Blackfyne Community School, in the Blackhill area of Consett.

The cabinet initially agreed to withdraw free transport for pupils resident in Leadgate, living less than two miles from the school.

Independent councillor Watts Stelling said exceptional circumstances prevailed in what is mostly a rural and often windswept route between Leadgate and Blackhill.

A working group of councillors looked into the issue and Thursday's cabinet meeting will call for the guidelines relating to Blackfyne to be revisited once the policy is in place.

Councillor Stelling said: "What I would like to see is officers to collect data in each case, over how busy surrounding roads are, how many cars use them, at what speeds, how many refuges there are, then to ask councillors to look at the subjective points of view in each case.

"No two routes are the same. If you are asking a child to walk nearly two miles and they only pass four houses the chances of them being tackled en route are much greater than in a busier urban environment.

"There are lots of issues to consider in each case.

"It would be nice to think the cabinet would say they got it wrong and to go and look at it again."

Coun Stelling said that of the 155 Blackfyne pupils from Leadgate only four would qualify for free transport under the two-mile rule.