A Chippenham mother fears for her teenage daughter's health and safety because the 14-year-old has to catch a public bus to Melksham every day to go to school.

Lisa Hamblin has attended George Ward School for the past year because Sheldon, Hardenhuish and Corsham schools were full up.

Wiltshire County Council handed Lisa a Badgerline bus pass to take her to school but the bus timetable means she arrives at school half an hour before it opens.

Consequently Lisa has to stand around on her own in the town, whatever the weather.

Lisa's mother, Alma Kennedy, of Palmer Street, said her daughter was unwilling to go to school last winter because of having to wait outside in the cold.

Now Mrs Kennedy is worried because her daughter hangs about in the town centre with her friends before school and she is concerned they may get into trouble.

"She was just 13 when she started travelling to school on her own and I was extremely worried," said Mrs Kennedy.

"Kids of that age have been abducted."

Lisa attended St Gregory's School in Bath because it is a denominational school.

But her parents were not happy with the school and decided to move Lisa to another.

She secured a place at Corsham School but lost it just two days before term started last September because armed forces personnel children took the place.

"Last winter she was refusing to go to school because she was fed up waiting outside in the rain and cold," said Mrs Kennedy, an electronics contractor.

As it happens, her husband, John Kennedy, works for Home James taxis and transports children to primary schools.

Mrs Kennedy said another teenager from Pewsham had to take a bus to George Ward School.

David Green, who spent months out of school because he could not find a place in Chippenham, has to make the same journey.

His mother, Gillian Green, said David started on Monday but he was not happy because the school decided he should go back a year to catch up on missed work.

"The county council will give him a bus pass but it's a long journey for him," she said.

He has to leave the house by 7am for the 30 minute walk from Heathfield to the bus station in the town centre.

Then she said he had a 20 minute walk at the other end of the bus journey to reach the school by 8.30am, when the school day begins.