PARENTS held a “go slow” to protest against plans to scrap free school buses.

A convoy of 50 cars arrived at Wivenhoe Town’s football ground before yesterday’s school run.

From there, they made the 6.5-mile journey along the B0127 to the Colne Community School in Brightlingsea.

As they approached the school, the convoy of parents slowed down to 20mph.

After they dropped off their children, parents pulled on to the road outside the school and blocked it for five minutes, tooting their horns.

The protest had been followed by a police car to make sure it went smoothly.

It was arranged after it emerged last week some pupils in the Colne School’s catchment area will not be entitled to free buses from September 2015.

Andrea Luxford-Vaughan, a Wivenhoe town councillor who organised the stunt, said: “This shows the strength of feeling and the fact people will make the choice to drive to the school.

“This road is going to be choca- block. It is going to be horrendous for us – and the people of Brightlingsea.

Essex County Council needs to be creative and flexible.

“Let’s adapt locality principles and allow us to have a choice.”

Essex County Council’s new money-saving policymeans free buses are only applicable for a pupil’s nearest school, not any school in their catchment.

Many families in Wivenhoe live a couple of miles closer to Colchester Academy, but have traditionally sent their children to the Colne School and say it is just as quick to drive them there.

In February, the council said it would look into alternative funding to make exceptions in this case.

However, last week Ray Gooding, councillor responsible for education, said that was a misunderstanding.