NEARLY 2,000 children could be left stranded at school tomorrow as bus drivers go on strike in protest over pay.

Staff at Warrington Borough Transport will walk out from noon tomorrow, Friday, until noon on Saturday - with two more 24-hour strikes scheduled to take place over the next fortnight.

Nigel Featham, managing director of WBT, said: "We had hoped to persuade the union to sanction volunteer drivers to operate school journeys during the strike on a goodwill basis, but sadly they did not feel able to agree to this.

"Therefore it seems most unlikely that any school services will operate."

Warrington Borough Council confirmed that it employs 21 double-decker and two single-decker buses for the school run, which could transport around 1,700 children maximum.

Malcolm Roxburgh, strategic director of education and lifelong learning at the council, said: "We very much regret the potential disruption to children's travel arrangements that this will cause."

Neil Clarke, regional industrial organiser for the Transport and General Workers' Union, said that staff had been pushed into walking out.

He said: "Industrial action is almost unheard of among transport workers in Warrington.

"Many live in the area and have been working here for years. They have families in the community and their customers are very important to them."

WBT offered its workers a 4.9 per cent pay increase backdated to April this year, with a further four per cent next April, which Mr Featham says is the highest pay offer at the company for many years.

But Mr Clarke says even with the initial 4.9 per cent rise, staff would still be paid around £1 an hour less than their colleagues in Halton.

He highlighted the increasing hazards of driving a bus in a busy town, and the fact that staff receive one rate of pay - regardless of whether they work anti-social hours. WBT employs 240 staff, which includes 169 members of the TGWU. The strike ballot returned 85 yes votes, 40 no votes and 44 abstentions.

Mr Featham said: "I believe the vast majority of staff are committed to the future of the company and I still hope they can be persuaded that the offer on the table is the best available at the present time.

"On behalf of the company, I would like to offer sincere apologies to all customers affected by this strike action."

More walkouts are scheduled to take place from noon on Wednesday, September 10, to noon on Thursday, September 11, and noon on Monday, September 15, to noon on Tuesday, September 16.