PARENTS and pupils angry over the scrapping of subsidised school buses yesterday took their fight to councillors.

Hundreds of pupils at Chepstow Comprehensive School now either have to walk or get lifts from Bulwark and Thornwell, after Monmouthshire county council axed the buses on St David's Day.

The move came despite a massive march against the proposals. Outside yesterday's council meeting around 60 parents and children voiced their anger at the cuts.

Dave Bligh, who has two daughters, Chelsea, 12, and Chloe, 11, said: "When you have to go to work at 7.15am and my wife also works, we have to make arrangements to take the kids to school. We don't deem the route to be safe."

Pauline Thomas, whose 13-year-old son James goes to the school, said: "I worry about him walking and at home time there are hundreds of children coming out onto the streets at the same time."

Sandra Warnock, whose daughter Corissa, 12, said: "It's important to come here today and show the strength of feeling. We have got to get our message across and I think this is the only way to do it."

Chepstow mayor and county councillor, Armand Watts, said parents felt badly let down by the council.

Education cabinet member, and new deputy leader of the council, Peter Fox, previously said the route had been assessed and was safe.

At yesterday's council meeting he was booed by some in the public gallery and at one point the committee chairman, Val Smith, adjourned the meeting after angry outbursts.

A panel is due to meet on April 28 to hear parents' appeals.