HUNDREDS of parents are facing a £250 bill as Poole council cuts free travel to grammar and faith schools.

Borough of Poole provides free buses for 725 children at grammar and church schools.

It applies to children wholive more than two or three miles away and costs £568,300 per year.

But the council looks set to approve plans for a £250 annual fare for each child.

Charging will be phased in and not affect pupils already attending. Families on low incomes will not have to pay.

The plans were approved by the transport advisory group and are likely to be rubber stamped by the cabinet today.

But Liberal Democrat group leader Mike Brooke has criticised the move, which he says will force more cars onto the road at rush hour, and put pressure on lower-income families. He said: "There will be some people who can't find that money and will probably have to make the decision that their children won't go to that school."

Ian Carter, head of Poole Grammar, said: "In having to reduce expenditure, whatever one chooses, whatever group it penalised, it will be unfair.

"My view is that it is disappointing, but I understand the difficult choice.

"It is another factor which will affect some parents, with the result they may have to make a choice they don't want to make."

The move follows 2007 legislation which extended councils' duty to provide free transport to low-income families.

That service is estimated to cost Poole £35,000 a year with £13,000 being provided by the government.

Vicky Wales, head of children and young people's integrated services at the Borough of Poole, said: "The changes in the law have resulted in significant extra costs which cannot be met through council tax alone."

The new policy will not be introduced before September 2009.

Dorset County Council brought in a £203 charge for travel to faith schools this month.