A company that takes children with special needs to and from school has gone into administration.

Receivers have been called in to Ruskin Private Hire that that takes hundreds of special needs children to and from school in Croydon.

The firm currently operates approximately one third of the school-run taxi and mini-bus routes for the council.

Croydon Council has assured parents of children with special educational needs they should face minimal disruption to their school runs following the announcement.

The council has several other transport firms operating in the borough and has developed contingency plans with several of them to take over the routes operated by Ruskin if they are unable to continue trading.

The administrators who have been brought in have timed their announcement for the half term to give as much time as possible for alternative arrangements to be put in place.

Councillor Tim Pollard, cabinet member for children, families and learning, said: “All parents who are potentially affected by this news will be contacted first thing next week.

“We’ll do everything possible to minimise disruption. Our policy of using several firms to operate school transport contracts means we should be able to manage this situation without too much difficulty.”

Included in Ruskin’s contract is to take children to and from Red Gates School, a special school in Farnborough Avenue, South Croydon, for pupils with severe learning difficulties.

It was also awarded a deal to provide the same service to The Link Secondary School, in Croydon Road, Beddington.