A GWENT child safety campaigner is questioning claims that new US style school buses set for Britain are the safest in the world.

Pat Harris (pictured), founder and co-ordinator of BUSK ( Belt UP School Kids), disputed the claims made by FIRST bus company, which introduced the new school buses in Yorkshire Pennine villages earlier this week.

She said: "I am concerned that this is meant to be a vehicle specifically designed for children and young people so it should have high back seats and three point belts.

"FIRST group claim to have the safest vehicle in the world but we are aware of several authorities who say they have safer vehicles than these."

A report on the bus was written by BUSK in October 2000 and was presented to FIRST who agreed to work with the charity, but have yet to meet with Mrs Harris.

BUSK was formed in Gwent nearly ten years ago by a group of parents worried about school transport, and now has membership all over Britain.

Their campaigning has led to changes in legislation so that children travelling to school on mini buses now have to wear seat belts.

British bus company FIRST already has 100 commercial American-style US buses ordered and spokesman Martin Helmes said: "Safety is absolutely critical and that the buses, which carry one million children every day to school in the US, had to meet specific requirements for the UK before being used here".

Henleys, a British company based in Georgia, made 47 changes in order for their buses to comply with UK regulations said: "We are quite confident that the buses will be introduced in Wales but we cannot say when this will be.

"There has been a lot of interest in Wales and we are keen to move as quickly as possible but it is down to the local authorities."

Children using the bus will have the same driver every day with the same safety and security features that FIRST, the UKs largest bus operator, uses in the United States, where it is the second largest operator.

Next week the second yellow school bus will be launched in Surrey.