A COUNCIL'S decision to stop pupils travelling on a free school bus has been upheld by the Local Government Ombudsman.

The investigation concluded that Durham County Council was correct in deciding that a group of youngsters were not eligible for free transport to and from the school of their choice.

However, Ombudsman Pat Thomas ruled that there had been two cases of maladministration.

Although the school concerned was not named in the report, it is believed to be in Darlington.

The Ombudsman ruled that when a council sub-committee met to discuss the families' eligibility, members did not have proper reports to explain the parents' demands.

Ms Thomas also found that a member of their education committee stayed in a meeting and spoke on the parents' behalf, despite declaring an interest as a diocesan representative, a school governor and a parish official, in breach of the National Code of Local Government Conduct.

Despite the maladministration findings, the complainants did not suffer any injustice, the report concluded.

The complaint arose when parents believed their children were promised a place on the bus But the investigation revealed that discussions between parents and school officials did not amount to an agreement.

Council officials said that because the school no longer lay within County Durham, because of local government reorganisation in 1997, it was entitled to review its free transport policy for pupils who joined the school after the boundary changes.

The watchdog found that the education committee's decision was consistent with council policy.

County council leader Councillor Don Robson said: "The authority makes every effort to apply its policies - particularly in regard to free school transport - consistently and even-handedly."