CHILDREN travelling between Melksham and Bradford on Avon could be forced to make their own way to school because there is no more space on a bus.

The 40-seater bus which takes pupils who are not entitled to free transport from Melksham and Bowerhill to St Laurence School, Bradford on Avon, is full.

Any new fare-paying children who start at the school have to find an alternative way to get to class.

County councillor Terry Chivers said: "The easy answer would be a second bus but there would be no driver to drive it.

"A bigger bus cannot be brought in due to the narrow lanes at South Wraxall, so the only answer would be to turn away non-entitled children, and I would only support that at the very last resort."

Wiltshire County Council, who co-ordinates the school services, increased the size of the bus from a 33-seater to a 40-seater earlier this year.

County council spokesman Tracy Carter said: "Rather than refuse travel to five or six fare-paying students, we have been carrying them while endeavouring to find an acceptable and viable solution.

"It may well be that we have to decline to carry any new non-entitled pupils on the bus from Bowerhill and Melksham in the future, as we have now reached the stage where there are very few spaces."