RENOWNED safety campaigner Pat Harris is in dispute with the charity she helped to set up.

Mrs Harris founded BUSK (Belt Up School Kids) in 1993 after her young son was injured while travelling on a school bus.

She started a campaign to have seat belts fitted as standard on school transport and later widened it to bus and coach safety generally.

Last year BUSK was registered as a charity but mother-of-three Mrs Harris, of Newport, quit earlier this year following a dispute with the trustees.

It is understood she subsequently pursued a claim for constructive dismissal, which was settled by the charity before the case was heard by a tribunal.

She has also instigated legal proceedings against the charity which are still proceeding. It is alleged the trustees are making a counter claim. Mrs Harris, now a director of BUSK Ltd - a separate organisation from Busk - and mainly involved in safety consultancy, said: "My solicitor has told me not to say anything until after the court case."

The Argus contacted Davies and Partners, of Birmingham, the firm of solicitors representing the two trustees of the BUSK charity but no-one was available to comment.