PARENTS fear for the safety of their children on their walk to school through country lanes in Loders.

They have been told that the route from their homes to Loders Primary School has just been designated as a safe route by Dorset County Council.

They say they will now have to walk their youngsters to school or pay about £250 a year for a place on the school bus.

The parents include Rachel Dunn, whose daughter Imogen, seven, goes to the school, and Martin and Laura Farnham, who will have three children at the school in September.

Rachel, who lives about a mile from the school with Imogen and husband Simon, said: “I find it completely unbelievable that they could consider the route safe.

“A lot of the route has steep banks which you can’t scramble up to get out of the way.”

Martin and Laura Farnham’s three children Lauren, nine, Amelie, six, and Elias, four, will all be at the school while their other children Florence, three, and Clementine, 14 months, are also likely to go to Loders.

Martin said: “It is unsafe to walk with three children.

“The road is definitely dangerous. There is no way I would let them walk on their own.”

He added: “It is a busy little road.”

The parents say the road is single track for much of the way and has no pavements in many parts. They say it was designated ‘safe’ after the speed limit was cut from 60mph to 30mph.

They claim that they would have to pay £250 per child a year to put them on the school bus.

The parents have also dismissed an alternative route proposed by the council which goes off the road.

They say it is not possible to push a buggy down the track, that part of it is a bridleway and there is dog muck down there from dog walkers.

A Dorset County Council spokesman said: “The council provides free school transport for pupils who live more than two miles away from their nearest or catchment primary school, and provides concessionary school transport where passes are purchased for pupils living less than two miles away, providing there are seats available.

“In some cases, transport may be provided over lesser distances if there is no reasonably safe route for a child to walk to school.

“Our children’s and adults services appeals committee considered an appeal for free school transport, on the grounds of road safety, on routes between Uploders and Loders Primary School.

“As well as walking appropriate sections of the route, the committee also considered a thorough highway safety audit undertaken by an experienced traffic management engineer.

“A rights of way audit was also carried out and presented to the committee together with video footage of the entire route.

“Members are required to weigh up all the evidence presented to them carefully and objectively before reaching a final decision.

“The committee considered the route to be reasonably safe and turned down the appeal.”