PARENTS say they are “fuming” that teenagers were left standing in the cold on the morning of GCSE exam work.

They say it was because a bus driver had not been told about the seven weeks of road closures around the Canford Bottom roundabout.

Pupils in Verwood had been told to get to their bus stop early on Thursday to make sure they got to school in time round the partially closed junction.

Susan Shier’s 16-year-old daughter was among a number of pupils waiting at Blackmoor Road, Verwood, from 7.48am.

“The bus driver got there at the usual time of 8.05am and said he did not have a clue things had changed,” she said.

“Parents had been told – why hadn’t the driver?”

Susan, of Ringwood Road, added: “I am fuming – on the coldest day of the year, my daughter has been left standing at the bus stop for 20 minutes after carefully making sure that she got there for the earlier time.”

Some students were taking GCSE modules this week.

“If she has any exams starting at 9am I shall just take her in the car,” the 50-year-old Ringwood Road resident said.

“I won’t risk it now. She’ll get so stressed worrying about being late.”

The service got to school on time, she said, despite the diversions.

A Damory Coaches spokes-man apologised for the delay and confirmed that the individual driver did not have the appropriate schedule.

The company is confident the error will not re-occur and that disruption caused by the road closures will be kept to the minimum, he added.

A Dorset County Council spokesman said they were “extremely concerned” that the bus didn’t pick children up at the correct time.

“We informed Damory in advance that pick-up times should be adjusted to make up for any disruption caused by the Canford Bottom roadworks,” he said.

“We have been in touch with the company and they have assured us that all drivers are now aware of the changes.”