School transport cancelled as heavy rain forecast

All school transport in Dorset has been cancelled on Friday because of forecast heavy rain.

Dorset Council said with road closures already in place because of flooding, it had to consider the safety of bus journeys to and from school. Individual schools will take decisions on whether to remain open or to close.

The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for localised heavy rain in the south west of England through until early on Friday.

Children using public transport may not be affected and parents should check with their transport provider, the council said.

In a statement, Dorset Council said: "Bearing in mind the number of road closures we already have in place and the ways in which catchment areas are reacting without warning it has been decided that the county-wide Dorset Council commissioned school transport will be cancelled for tomorrow 30 January."

"This decision has not been made lightly, and we understand frustrations from parents, carers and school leaders.

"But we have to consider whether the transport can safely take children to and from school," it added.

More than 50 flood warnings are in place for the Dorset region.

The Met Office said the impact of the rain would be greater because of "saturated ground and ongoing flooding" following Storm Chandra.

The region was hit by strong winds and heavy rain from the storm on Monday and Tuesday, leaving roads and properties flooded.

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