TWO Monmouthshire students, who both have autism, have seen transport to their colleges axed by the county council, leaving them and their parents distressed and panicking about what to do next.

The Free Press spoke to two mothers of teenagers in Chepstow and Caldicot who attend colleges in Pontypool and Newport who found out last month that their transport which was part funded by the council was being stopped.

Liam Jenkins Jones, 17, of Chepstow was due to start his second of three years at The Priory in Pontypool on September 1 – but his mum Tanya was told by a council officer on August 27 that the authority would no longer pay their share of a taxi fare for his journeys.

Certificates and achievements from last year lie on a table in the lounge at his Cromwell Road house waiting to be added to this year. Last year he went to college every day, his course paid for by the Welsh Assembly.

Ms Jenkins told the Free Press she has been crying regularly and has found it difficult to sleep because of the worry of what Liam has been missing out on after he made promising progress.

She said: “He really enjoys going and it is getting him agitated. He is worried about his course. I have spoken to social services but I am not getting answers from anyone.”

Liam needs his own transport because his mum needs to take his sister, Carys, nine, to school at Shirenewton Primary. Ferrying him back and forth in a taxi had never been a problem until a few weeks ago and the call from the council came, Ms Jenkins said.

Cllr Armand Watts, who is a family friend of Liam’s, said: “It seems the council have failed in their duty of care towards Liam.

“It beggars belief that a child is sat at home when he should be in college.”

Meanwhile, Kate Kronenbach’s daughter Sophie Fieldhouse, 17, attends a course to help her with independent living skills at Coleg Gwent, Newport and last year took a minibus from her Caldicot home which was part funded by her and part funded by the council.

She said: “My daughter is 17, almost 18, she’s meant to be learning life skills so that she can maybe one day live a little bit more independently. Without this college course, there’s nothing for her. She can’t go down the job centre and get a job, she’s going to be a recluse at 17, that’s disgusting. It’s heartbreaking.”

Ms Kronenbach is unable to drive. Her 21-year-son does drive but is studying at university and her mother is a permanent carer for her eight-year-old niece.

She said of Sophie: “She's not a social person but she's in a comfortable group with kids that she knows at college. She's just started going to a club for young adults up to the age of 25 but it'll take months for her to feel comfortable.

“The mums and dads are going to have to get together to see what we can do. It's thrown our lives into the air.”

Monmouthshire council’s chief officer for children and young people, Sarah McGuinness, said: “Each application of this nature is determined on its merits and the decisions made are based firmly on clearly laid out criteria.

“Last year, many students were not initially offered transport to their place of study but were fortunate to benefit from a concessionary transport award as spare capacity was available on existing contracted vehicles. This year, these surplus spaces are no longer available as the contract no longer operates.”

A spokeswoman for The Priory said: “No students who have places at Priory Coleg have been left without transport to enable them to attend. Where necessary, the Coleg has worked with families to arrange mutually convenient provision.”

The Free Press was waiting on a comment from Coleg Gwent at the time of going to press.