Bus company abandons school routes in North Yorkshire

Twenty-seven school routes have been affected

Emergency transport had to be found for around 900 pupils after a bus firm was unable to fulfil its contracts.

Stephensons of Easingwold told North Yorkshire County Council about the situation at 16:30 GMT on Friday, the council said.

The routes affected include 27 school bus services in the Ryedale, Harrogate and Hambleton areas and six passenger routes.

The company has not responded to the BBC's requests for comment.

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The council said it had to find emergency replacements to operate the school services for Monday so no children were left stranded.

Alternative operators have not yet been found for the six council-subsidised passenger routes Stephensons ran in the Malton and Thirsk areas.

Details of the affected routes have been made available on the county council's website.

Don Mackenzie, executive member for passenger transport at the county council, said: "We will need to put those out to tender again so they will be unavailable for the foreseeable future."

Stephensons' commercial routes between Easingwold, Helmsley and York have been taken over by Transdev's Coastliner service.