Children in a village are still without the means to get to school with the start of term only one day away.

Distraught parents in Sandhurst say they have been ignored by Kent County Council after cuts in bus services have left them stranded.

Hams Travel originally announced it would be withdrawing its number 294 and 295 services, which collected children from a series of villages across the Weald and took them to Homewood School in Tenterden.

After a storm of protest, the services have been re-instated, except that they will run from Hawkhurst but will not visit Sandhurst, three miles away, where 29 children are either already at Homewood or due to start school there tomorrow (Thursday).

Kelly Stanford's daughter, 15-year-old Millie, is already at Homewood, and her 11-year-old son, Archie, who has autism, is due to start in Year 7 this week.

She said: "KCC seems to expect Sandhurst children to catch a 7am regular number 5 bus service to Hawkhurst and then wait on the street for 45 minutes, until the Hams school bus arrives.

"And have the similar ridiculous journey on the way home – they wouldn't get back till 6pm."

"We paid £450 to get the KCC's Kent Travel Saver ticket but there is no bus to get on.

"A lot of parents are really worried and annoyed about this and it is distressing the children too.

"My son needs to go to Homewood because they can support him with his EHCP (Education Health and Care Plan). "

Tunbridge Wells borough bouncillor, Ellen Neville (Tunbridge Wells Alliance), whose daughter goes to Homewood from Hawkhurst, was in full sympathy with the Sandhurst parents.

She said: "I understand that KCC has contracted Hams to lay on a special minibus to take 13 children who are entitled to free school travel from Sandhurst to Homewood at a cost of £220 a day. There is no provision for the other 16."

"It would cost KCC only another £80 a day to pay Hams to provide a proper bus instead of a minibus that could take all the children. It's not as though this would really cost KCC anything, since these families are paying customers.

"Instead, parents are faced with the prospect of potentially reducing their hours or giving up their jobs altogether to drive their children to school.

"KCC has been completely unhelpful and has not communicated with them at all.

"For them it's all about finance. They seem to have forgotten that parents and children are human beings."

Cllr Neville said she had been lobbying KCC and Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark on the issue.

She said: "The astonishing thing is the lack of urgency. These children return to school this week, yet KCC seems in no hurry to find a solution."

Mrs Stanford, from the Old Orchard estate, put it more succinctly. She said: "KCC has just said nuts to Sandhurst kids."

A KCC spokesman said: "Ongoing financial pressures facing bus companies have meant firms have withdrawn a number of services, which include those serving schools.

"We recognise this is a worrying time for families, which is why our dedicated public transport team has been working with the operators responsible for these withdrawals throughout summer to secure routes for as many pupils as possible.

"Despite best efforts, we know that there will still be some service gaps, but unfortunately the council is not in a financial position to adopt the services which operators are looking to withdraw."

He said: "In this instance, a change of route was proposed to enable the service to attract a larger number of new users from the Cranbrook area, meaning children needing to travel to Homewood from Sandhurst by bus would need to travel to other stops on the 295 or other local services."

Hams Travel has been approached for comment.