AN increase in school transport costs would penalise students living in rural areas, claimed a head teacher. Dr Mike Firth, head teacher at The Meridian School in Royston, was worried about increases in school transport to be introduced by Herts County

AN increase in school transport costs would "penalise" students living in rural areas, claimed a head teacher.

Dr Mike Firth, head teacher at The Meridian School in Royston, was worried about increases in school transport to be introduced by Herts County Council.

The county council said home-to-school transport cost should rise to £98-a-term for students living five miles away and to £130-a-term for students living more than five miles from school.

Dr Firth said of the increases: "It is penalising students who come from the villages."

A spokesman for the county council said that the increase in school transport had been introduced "reluctantly".

The county council, however, was working on a tight budget and needed to make savings.

- Kate Mier became the new curate at Royston Parish Church.

She was introduced to parishioners by the Rev Les Harman at a service just hours after she had been ordained at St Albans Cathedral.

She had recently completed her three-year theological degree after previously working as an analytical chemist.

She spoke of her new role as "exciting" and said she would be adopting "a totally different lifestyle".

- The Crow reported that an outbreak of myxomatosis had increased among rabbits living on Therfield Heath.

The then Herts Countryside Management ranger Eoin Bell said: "There has been an increase in rabbits on the heath, but numbers are starting to drop because of myxomatosis. Nature is taking its course.