Winchester City Council is again calling for more action over the problem of children having to be bused out of Whiteley to school because there is no space for them locally.

Councillor Therese Evans, portfolio holder for community services and lifelong learning, said more should be done by education chiefs at Hampshire to accommodate the youngsters locally.

She said: "Both the local members, councillors Brenda Hatch and Caroline Watts, feel as I do that the county council must ensure there is a local solution to the problem of insufficient school places.

"It should not be necessary to make Whiteley children travel to schools out of Whiteley. It is much better for the local community to have schools within a sensible distance.

"We recognise it may be difficult for the county council to identify a suitable site, but the city council is ready to consider a sensible proposal if and when this is brought forward."

At the moment up to 40 children are bused out of the village into Fareham to receive their education.

Winchester and Fareham councils have repeatedly called on the county council to build a new primary and secondary school but so far no suitable site has been identified.

Parish council chairman Don Bates said: "The location of a school is important because it provides a base for so much social and community activity for both parents and children. Those children who have to travel out of Whiteley receive a good education, but Whiteley misses out because those schools are at the centre of another community."