A furious parent has slammed a council’s decision to axe his children’s free bus passes and instead make them ‘wade through mud’ on a three-mile walk to school. Father-of-two Joe Massey was left feeling ‘frustrated’ after Surrey County Council cut the passes for his two sons and offered a walking route instead from South Nutfield to Carrington School in Redhill. Free bus access is normally provided to those who live more than three miles (4.8km) from their chosen school, but the council says it is no longer in a position to offer this ‘amidst a set of challenging financial circumstances’.

President-elect Donald Trump returned to Washington on Wednesday with major backer Elon Musk where he joked he cannot get rid of his billionaire supporter. Trump joined the House Republican conference meeting where he gave remarks while visiting DC. Seated front and center at the gathering on Capitol Hill was the world’s richest man. It was the latest appearance by Musk who has been hanging about Mar-a-Lago since helping propel Trump back to the White House with the 2024 election.