Coronavirus: Corby students travel on buses without social-distancing

Corby currently has the fifth highest level of new Covid-19 cases in England per 100,000 residents

Students are travelling on school buses without prescribed social distancing measures to a town with one of the highest rates of new Covid-19 cases.

Corby Business Academy is among seven Northamptonshire secondary schools for which the county council has failed to provide enough extra buses.

Corby has the fifth highest rate in England of new cases per 100,000 residents, according to latest figures.

The council said it was confident "a robust solution will be found".

The bus shortage also affects students at Wollaston School, Prince William Academy in Oundle, Guilsborough Academy, Campion School in Bugbrooke, Moulton School and Science College and Sponne School in Towcester.

Northamptonshire County Council has offered to pay families 45p per mile if they would prefer to drive children to school themselves.

'Madness'

One Corby Business Academy parent said they had "no way of getting my child to school as I do not drive".

"If I don't send them in, I could be fined and yet NCC can't provide safe transport," they said.

"It is totally against government guidance."

Parents at the academy were told 15 schools buses would not be able to provide the nationally recommended one-metre social distancing between year group bubbles.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the county council had been told by the government in July to provide extra capacity for children travelling to school.

Bob Scott, leader of the Labour opposition at the council, called the situation "madness".

He said: "This is the sort of thing that could lead to a lockdown in Corby."

An academy spokesman said parents had been told which routes were affected and reminded "face masks must be worn on school transport".

Cabinet member for transport Jason Smithers said the situation was not ideal, but "a robust solution will be found".

He added: "If children follow the guidance and wear masks on the bus then there should not be an issue."

• SOCIAL DISTANCING: What are the rules now?

• FACE MASKS: When do I need to wear one?

• SOCIAL LIFE: Is it safe to go to the pub?

• LOCAL LOCKDOWNS: What happens if you have one?

• TEST AND TRACE: How does it work?