A ROW over the religious status of Southampton's planned new academy schools has escalated after it was revealed they could be "faith schools" for free bus travel.

Education chiefs admitted a wider catchment of parents could claim free transport to one of the new secondary schools if they sent their children there because they were Christian.

The move could double transport costs.

The leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the city council, Councillor Adrian Vinson, said councillors had been assured while the academies - independent schools, directly funded by the Government - would be run by a Christian based education organisation, they would not be faith schools.

He said: "You cannot have it both ways. I'm concerned the public should not be misled on this matter.

"They should not be given preferential treatment over other secondary schools.

"If there are ambiguities over school transport what else will come out of the woodwork."

The revelation came as the Conservative-run city council agreed to a revised free school transport policy in line with new legislation.

Councillor Peter Baillie, Cabinet member for education, admitted: "While the academies will not be faith schools, because the academy sponsors ticked the faith box then pupils will be able to use that for free transport. It's a quirk in the legislation."

London-based Oasis Community Learning was controversially handed the task of running two new academies ahead of the Southampton Education Trust, a consortium of the city's universities, higher education colleges and major businesses.

Oasis is involved with five other projects to run academies across the country.

In Southampton it is working together with a local group made up of representatives from different organisations including the Diocese of Winchester and Southampton YMCA.

The new policy on free school transport, largely affecting the city's two church aided secondary schools, St Anne's, and St George's, is estimated to increase the cost to the council by £129,000 to £1.6m next year.

However under a new wider definition of faith and philosophical conviction, and following the establishment of the Academies, the costs to the council could double, council officers said.

Councillor Baillie said the new policy would be reviewed next year for any "adverse effects".