More parents have gathered in force to protest against "nonsensical" new rules which mean their children will not be given free school transport.

Essex County Council announced that from September, Year Seven pupils will only be entitled to free school transport if they attend their nearest school and if this is more than three miles away from home.

Parents in Bradwell have been left angry after being told they do not qualify for free transport - even though their children will go to their catchment school of Honywood more than three miles away.

Alec Hunter is closer by 0.3miles but children traditionally filter into Honywood.

Claire Barnes, whose son Max will go to Honywood in September, said: "The alternative would be to pay £700-a-year to send my son on the Hedingham bus which is a lot of money.

"We will fight it because it wasn’t brought to our attention properly."

Councillor James Abbott, who represents Bradwell on Braintree Council, has slammed County Hall’s policy as nonsensical.

He said: "I understand they have to have rules but this makes sense on no level I can see and appears to have no flexibility."

Councillor Ray Gooding, Essex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Lifelong Learning, said: "These provisions are in line with the council’s statutory responsibilities.

"Where there is no entitlement to free transport, the legal position is that parents are responsible for making alternative arrangements."