Police ride on school buses (From Free Press Series)

Police ride on school buses

POLICE community support officers will be riding on school buses in Monmouth every night to deter pupils from causing problems with unruly and anti-social behaviour.

Headteacher Carole Anderson said: "There is a grey area of who is responsible for the students between the time that school finishes and when they get home.

"We decided that we should take some of the responsibility away from the bus driver and, in view of the Cowbridge tragedy, that we would trial the use of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs).

"There has not been any real trouble with our pupils travelling on these busses, but we feel that as preventative measure it would be wise to have an adult aboard."

There are a total of 14 buses taking pupils to and from school who live out of the town.

And by using the PCSOs for the scheme, it will help re-introduce high-visibility policing and counteract low-key disorder problems. This will enable bus drivers to do their job without the fear of being distracted by substance misuse and other anti-social behaviour. Monmouth councillor David Waring said: "I support this pilot scheme and will be interested to see if it proves to be a problem-solver or a strain on resources."

In March 2003, Wye Valley parents and children attending Monmouth Comprehensive School won their long running campaign to get a dedicated school bus instead of pupils riding on a scheduled bus.

The campaign, championed by Monmouth MP Huw Edwards and the Free Press for three years, persuaded Monmouthshire County Council to supply a 57-seater bus on the route with each seat being fitted with a safety belt.

The result also abolished the need to use the legalised overcrowding legislation over the implementation of three pupils to two seats rule that was established as part of the 1944 Education Act.