Modern-day St Trinians banned

A bus company has banned almost 1,000 schoolchildren following a series of attacks on drivers and vehicles.

The Provincial Bus Company in Portsmouth, Hants, has banned pupils from the King Richard secondary school from using its buses to travel to and from school. Parents have received a letter from the school's headteacher informing them their children will not be able to use Provincial buses from next Monday. The company said it decided to impose the week-long ban after an upsurge of violence and vandalism in which drivers reported windows smashed, emergency exits opened and money stolen.

Mike Smith, Provincial operations director, said: "There has been a series of very serious events on buses. We've had numerous complaints from passengers saying `who in their right mind would get on a bus with these animals?'."

Head teacher Peter Warburton, said the school had made a great effort to improve pupils' behaviour on buses and had taken disciplinary action against some. Angry parents claimed the company was over-reacting and some threatened to keep their children off school rather than see them face a long walk.