Members of Forfar Community Council reacted in disbelief at their meeting last Thursday evening when chairman Mrs Isobel Ross spoke of the incident which resulted in the grandmother being reported to the Police.

Although the grandparent was told she had no case to answer, Mrs Ross rounded on the council official who had acted in such a manner.

She has raised the matter with Mr Jim Anderson, Angus Council's director of education and has asked that the grandparent receive an apology.

Concerns over the 'lower' walking bus have simmered for months at the community council, with members expressing their fears for the safety of the children who are taken up New Road and along St James Road on their route to their temporary accommodation at the former Chapelpark Primary School.

They claim a safer route would be down West High Street, up East High Street and in the "top gate".

Insult to injury

To add insult to injury, this month's meeting heard the entire school had walked down East High Street and then up West High Street to attend their sports day at Strathmore Park - a route the walking bus is not allowed to take for safety reasons.

Addressing the meeting, Mrs Ross stated she had been approached by the grandparent who had been very concerned about the walking bus going up New Road.

"She had been monitoring the situation as her two grandchildren use the bus. She was approached one morning by a member of Angus Council staff and was accused of stalking and was threatened with the Police.

"The Police did go to see her and apparently there is no case to answer.

"I have written to the director of education as there are a lot of things I am not happy about."

Mrs Ross stated the grandparent had raised her concerns in the proper manner.

She had not received a satisfactory reply and her grand-children had been threatened to be removed from the walking bus.

Mrs Ross stated she had asked the director of education to arrange an apology for the grandparent and stated: "No member of Angus Council staff should be accusing anybody of anything.

"If her concerns had been addressed properly in the first place, this would never have happened. It's a nonsense.

"On Tuesday of this week the whole school was taken out the top gate on to the High Street, walked down East High Street, up West High Street, across to the library, along West High Street, across at the lights and down to the West End Park.

"If that is considered safe in the middle of the day, why is that not being used for the school walking bus?

"If it is considered safe for the whole school, then why is it not safe for about 20 kids?"

Review

She has also asked the director of education to set the wheels in motion for a review of the route of the walking bus before the school resumes in August and is to write to the director again to find out who sanctioned the walk of the pupils down East High Street and up West High Street.

Members questioned the way in which the whole situation had been handled, stating police resources had been wasted.

One member stated: "This is the third month in a row we have talked about this. We are talking about the same thing again but no-one seems to be listening.

"It is compromising safety time and time again. A member of the public has now been challenged by the Police."

He described the latest incident as "petulance and childish" and was one which "beggared belief."

A spokesperson for Angus Council said: "The safety and well-being of children going to school on the 'walking bus' has always been our main concern.

"A detailed risk assessment has been undertaken on the route and the fact that the pupils are all wearing reflective vests and are behaving extremely well on the bus has contributed to the minimising of any risks.

"We have at all times consulted parents as to the preferred route. We recently discussed the matter with the Parent Council and asked if they would prefer a different route for the 'walking bus', but on balance, they indicated they were happy with the route the children are using at present.

"However, when schools resume after the summer holiday break, we intend to ask all parents of children who using the walking bus for their views on the preferred route and we will take their opinions into account."