OUT-of-pocket parents in Whiteley who have set up their own school bus service are appealing to local businesses for sponsorship.

The fed-up mums and dads acted after Hampshire education chiefs refused to lay on transport to take their children to Swanmore School.

They need a sponsor to help bring down the high cost of a 21-seater minibus which works out at £5 per pupil for a return fare every day.

Organiser Jim Tyler whose daughter Alice, 10, started Swanmore this term, said: "It's a vital link to the community of Whiteley.

"It gets the kids to the school safely and is a reliable and environmentally-friendly service.

"It's taking probably ten to 15 cars off the Whiteley link road up to junction nine every day.

"The kids thoroughly enjoy it because it gets all of them together as a group. It leaves later than any other bus they have to catch.

"If any local businesses can help we would be very grateful. Anything they could give would be nice and in return I'm sure we could put a poster up."

Hampshire County Council education chiefs refuse to pay for travel to Swanmore because Whiteley's official feeder school is Henry Cort in Fareham.

But many parents believe their children are more suited to Swanmore which is a technology college as opposed to Henry Cort which is a sports college.

The county council's deputy education officer John Clarke said the authority will only provide transport to the areas feeder school Henry Cort.

He said: "Where parents express a first preference for a school other than their catchment school, the responsibility for transport to the chosen school then falls on the parents.

"If parents have concerns or feel that they need special consideration, representation can be made to the client education officer who can forward their case on to the home to school transport panel."