Parents are set to receive refunds on their children's bus passes as the coronavirus outbreak forces schools to close today, it has emerged.

Kent County Council - which subsidises the Kent Travel Saver card to the tune of £8m a year - had originally said it would not be offering money back to those who had forked out the £350 annual payment.

The authority blamed its costs already exceeding the fees it has received, angering parents whose children will now likely make little use of the passes before they expire on July 31.

But today KCC U-turned on the decision, confirming it is reviewing how, and how much, it can reimburse parents.

It is likely to mean a partial refund for those who paid up front for a pass, and no final £43 instalment for parents who chose to pay over eight months.

The same will apply to the Kent Travel Saver 16+ card, which is used by sixth-formers.

A council spokesman said: "KCC is reviewing the level of any refund and how the payment can be made.

"Once this is determined, we will be in touch with card holders."

The news is sure to be welcomed by parents at at time when many have been hit hard by the economic fallout of the fight against coronavirus.

At the same time, Stagecoach has revealed it will have drivers and buses on standby to help children get to school on Monday.

The firm has stopped direct services to schools and reverted to a school holiday timetable, leaving key workers with a potential transport headache.

But today it reassured parents it will do all it can to get pupils to class.

Spokesman Matthew Maytum said: "We're in constant contact with schools in the area as well as KCC, and there are ongoing efforts to assess how many children will be travelling and where from.

"This information is still not clear, so from Monday we will be on standby with spare buses and drivers available to run additional journeys to link students with their school where required.

"We ask that anyone who thinks that they will have a problem travelling to school should get in touch with our customer services team as soon as possible to help us identify where service levels may need boosting."

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