KENT schools appear to be putting cost before safety when booking transport for excursions and class trips, it has been claimed.

Coach operator Buzzlines, based in Lympne Industrial Park, near Hythe, insists few schools book transport and ask about the provider's risk assessment and management policies.

But Eric Spear, president of the National Association of Headteachers, says he would be surprised if any school would compromise on safety, as he told KM-fm...