A UNION has added its support to a campaign by hundreds of parents protesting at plans to cut school transport.

The Darlington branch of the public services union, Unison, is supporting parents' objections to Darlington Borough Council's proposals.

More than 200 protest statements from Catholic parents were presented to education officials yesterday, after more than 250 people from the four Catholic primary schools and Skerne Park Primary School marched to the town hall.

At present, youngsters who live two miles or more from their nearest or most appropriate secondary school get free school transport.

However, if the council's proposals are approved, pupils will have to live three miles or more from their school to be eligible for free transport.

Local Unison secretary Alan Docherty, who attended the protest, said: "We think that the council is making a financially-driven decision to cut back on the provision of school transport. It is about public services. These cuts are socially divisive, environmentally unfriendly and will increase road accidents."

Before the summer holidays parents organised protest events including walks, picnics and petitions.

Yesterday's walk was the last event before the council completes its consultation on the transport cuts this week.

Catholic parents are concerned, because there is only one Catholic secondary school in Darlington - Carmel College.

Parent Noelle Brockbank said: "We are here to remind the council that we have not forgotten and we are not going to go away.

"The Catholic stance is that we would be unfairly prejudiced by these changes, in that children are legally entitled to go to a Catholic secondary school, but these plans could mean some are forced to go elsewhere, because they can't get to their most appropriate school easily or safely."

She warned that if the plans went ahead the parents' next course of action would be at the ballot box in two years time, when the transport changes come into force.

Other parents fear the proposals will result in a rise in truancy, and jeopardise the safety of their children if they have to cross busy roads on their way to and from school.

A spokesman for the council said: " We have talked to many groups during the period of the consultation and we will take all their ideas into consideration."