A PARENT has criticised recent changes to a bus route which left her son walking 15 minutes to the bus stop and back each day to get to school.

Lynsey Ray said her 13-year-old son, Aidan Chapple attends Whitehaven Academy and prior to the changes to the Stagecoach number 30, had been able to catch the bus two minutes away at Newlands Lane.

But now he has to walk – whatever the weather and in the dark – and either catch the bus at Annie Pit or Workington bus station itself.

Lynsey, 36, from Moorclose, Workington has concerns about her son's welfare and explained that he also has ADHD.

She said: “He used to catch the bus and it took him straight to Whitehaven Academy.

“Stagecoach has changed it now and he has to do this walk every day, when it’s cold and dark.

“I’m worried sick, anything could happen to him. I know he is 13 but I worry about the safety. At that time in the morning, in the dark, anyone could be hanging around. It's not just my son, there are a lot of elderly people that relied on that bus."

Ms Ray added that she can not drive, so could not take Aidan to the bus stop, and she also has to walk her other two children, aged six and nine to their schools at St Joseph's and St Gregory's in the mornings. Her husband is often working at the time the bus leaves, so is also unable to take Aidan to the stop.

Lynsey said that she has tried to contact Stagecoach by emailing their app to discuss the transport issue with them, but has not had a response.

She then went to the Workington bus station and drivers there said that the current system is “manic.”

Lynsey added: “If anything happens to him I would have to blame Stagecoach.”

She said that she does not want to have to change Aidan’s school as he is settled at Whitehaven Academy.

He joined the school after getting bullied in schools that were closer to his home.

A spokesman for Stagecoach said: “We have searched and could not find a record of Ms Ray’s communication, but we will be getting in touch directly.”