SIR - I read Ian Habbit's letter with interest and agree that school buses would help relieve the congestion he mentions, but that is not an option to many parents in Worcester anymore as their children have to go where the county council dictates with no thought to the implications.

We bought a house in St Peter's during 1999 in the knowledge that there were three schools in the catchment area and during 2006 placed our child's name down at all three schools.

When our formal application was made for entry after May 1, 2007, (the official time for application to be considered), we were told by Worcester County Council education authority that the catchment areas no longer existed and no places were available in any of the three schools in question.

We then found it necessary to seek legal advice with a place eventually being found at a school in St John's.

There is no direct bus service from St Peter's to St John's and for this reason we take our seven-year-old daughter to school on her own as there are no other children from St Peter's attending.

Is this wrong, particularly with parents continually being reminded of the dangers to young children daily in the public domain?

Perhaps Worcester County Council education authority should seriously consider the problem/dilemma faced by parents when trying to get placement in catchment area schools and the knock on effect these have to commuters.

FJ Simmons Worcester