A mother-of-five has been left with a school run headache after being told her children live too far away to qualify for transport - despite some of their classmates being picked up from the same village.

Kerry Davis moved to Honingham from East Tuddenham last November with her husband Richard and their five children.

Her two oldest, Oliver and Charlie, attend Northgate High School in Dereham, with 11-year-old Charlie starting there this term.

Last year, Oliver used a bus pass to get to school, which he continued to do after the family had moved.

But when Mrs Davis applied to Norfolk County Council to get Charlie the same pass this year, her bid was refused.

Officials said Oliver would also lose his pass, arguing that the family were no longer in the catchment area for the school.

To add to her frustrations, a number of other children from Honingham are taken by bus to Northgate - seemingly because they qualify for service on other grounds.

In a bizarre twist, Mrs Davies later received another email from officials County Hall - believing her to still live in East Tuddenham - informing her that buses would no longer be picking up from the village - listing Honingham as an alternative nearby stop.

Mrs Davis said: "It just seems bizarre - my only option is to drive them to school early then pick them up late, as I have to get my other children to Mattishall Primary.

"It's a real cause of stress, I have no idea how we are going to cover the costs of fuel either."

A Norfolk County Council spokesman said: “Eligibility for free travel from home to school in Norfolk is explained in our 'home to school' transport policy which is based on national government policy.

“Factors include a child’s age, whether they have special educational needs or mobility issues, whether they are attending their designated catchment school and how far they live from that catchment school, and whether their family is in receipt of low-income benefits.

“In this case Northgate High is not the designated catchment school for people living in the village of Honingham, therefore the council does not provide transport and parents will need to make their own arrangements which could include paying to use the existing Konect bus service or travelling by car.”

On Tuesday's school run, Mrs Davis followed the very minibus she hoped her children could board the entire way.