Pembrokeshire secondary school pupils who take the bus to school must keep their face coverings on during the whole of the journey – and sanitise their hands before getting on.

That’s the message from the school transport section at Pembrokeshire County Council who say not all pupils are sticking to the rules.

It comes as Covid-19 cases have been confirmed at several Pembrokeshire schools over the past two weeks.

College students are also being urged to follow the same rules.

“We’re appealing to pupils and students to keep their face coverings on for the whole journey – and for their parents to speak to them about how important it is,” said Councillor Phil Baker, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure.

“We are not immune from coronavirus in Pembrokeshire and it is clearly among us.”

The council has also introduced seating plans on school buses to ensure that if a pupil is confirmed to have Covid-19, then it is easy to establish where they were sitting prior to that confirmation - and avoids the need to quarantine the whole bus.

College students will fill in a register as they board their bus.

“For the safety of all given the current situation, any who persistently refuse to follow these reasonable safety precautions will be given a warning, and ultimately transport could be withdrawn”, said Cllr Baker.

Face coverings are mandatory on school buses and public buses for everyone aged 11 and above (unless they are exempt for a medical reason).