School children have been left "in limbo" after their bus service was scrapped sparking anger and concern amongst parents.
Youngsters travelling from the Sandycroft and Mancot areas to Hawarden High were unexpectedly stranded at the bus stop yesterday.
Provider, P&O Lloyd Coaches said they informed Flintshire Council that they were terminating the 7X commercial service in July due to a "lack of support."
But the first parents of children at the school heard of it was in an e-mail that was sent by the head teacher at 5pm last night.
It says: "We have only today (Wednesday) been made aware by the integrated transport unit of Flintshire Council that this service has been withdrawn by the commercial provider and will not be replaced.
"This means that students living in these areas will only be entitled to transport should they qualify for a bus pass."
But families reacted with outrage claiming passes can take up to six weeks to be processed.
Many more are not even entitled to them and there is no option to pay.
Mum, Joanne Gregory said: "I am a single mum with no transport.
"My son, who is statemented and has autism and ADHD was left stranded.
"He wasn't allowed on the other bus because he didn't have a valid bus pass so he had to come home and I spent the morning ringing around trying to work out what to do."
Nichola Davies said: "My son is in Year 10, we live in Sandycroft by the river so I take him in the morning and pick him up from the bus stop in an afternoon, as my daughter is in Sandycroft CP and they finish at the same time.
"As it stands, I will have to leave one child waiting.
"The traffic around Hawarden will be horrendous due to this now.
"It would take my son an hour to walk and with winter coming it is not an option."
One woman, who did not want to be named added: "There are a lot of parents that are quite rightly so concerned about how they will get their children to school.
"I for one have a child in Hawarden and two in Elfed and have to be at work for 8.30am, so unfortunately I will probably end up losing my job if there isn't another bus service put into place, as there is no way of getting all three children to school and myself at work on time.
"It is completely crazy to think that nobody sees the importance of this bus. "
She added: "We don't qualify for a bus pass because our earnings, what kind of message does that give out?
"They closed John Summers school, which I would have preferred my son to attend if he had to walk to school, as I believe it to be a safer route than walking to Hawarden along a lane that is 60mph with no footpath.
" It is outrageous and concerning for all parents and children."
A spokesman for P&O Lloyd Coaches said: "The school and Flintshire Council were informed before the end of the summer term that we were cancelling this commercial service due to lack of support and all parties were aware of the situation."
Flintshire Council’s chief officer for streetscene and transportation, Steve Jones, said: “The P&O Lloyd bus service, serving Manor Lane to Deeside College (via Hawarden High School), was a commercial bus service operated directly by the bus company.
"The council has no control over commercial bus services and bus companies are free to change or withdraw services as they see fit and this can be for any reason, but especially where they are not profitable.
“It is unfortunate that the withdrawal of the service yesterday morning caused problems for a number of school pupils who pay to use the service who were unaware that the service had been withdrawn but, as the children travel to the school independently, there are no records of users that would allow either the council or the operator to contact the pupils affected by the change.
"We are working with the school to provide parents/carers with the advice and guidance they need in this instance."
Flintshire Council said it provides free school transport to pupils who meet the eligibility criteria but added "where children are not eligible, it is the parents/carers’ responsibility to get their children to and from school."
