Christian parents in East Sussex have until the end of the month to oppose plans to withdraw funding for transport to faith schools.

County council officers followed the lead of West Sussex County Council by proposing the cuts.

Each year the county council pays for buses, trains and even taxis to carry 1,334 children from Christian backgrounds to their nearest faith school.

It pays £385 for each pupil and hopes to save more than £585,000 a year by axing the service.

Leaflets distributed to parents on February 19 have to be returned to East Sussex County Council by March 30, when the consultation period between parents, governors, local councils and churches ends.

The move has infuriated religious leaders and church schools who have fought similar proposals in West Sussex since they were announced in November.

The total cost of transport in East Sussex is £13million per year which includes £8million allocated for home to school journeys. The amount spent on transport to denominational schools is 4.5 per cent of the total budget. Tony Campbell, headteacher of St Richard's Catholic College in Bexhill, has urged parents to return the leaflets.

He said: "Religious schools are the soft target. Why are the council not looking at the other £12.5 million spent on transport?

"The council is not doing us a favour by giving free transport, it is something which has always been in place.

"There is no mention in the consultation of the fact that the Catholic community meets a significant proportion of the cost of funding and other capital spending.

"Over the years the Catholic church has invested huge sums in providing and maintaining Catholic schools within the state school system."

Transport provision for denominational schools has existed since the Education Act 1944 because church schools have always recruited over a wide area.

Councillor Keith Glazier, responsible for children's services, said most parents who chose not to send their child to a local school had to pay transport costs and it could be argued that it was unfair parents of children who attended denominational schools received help.

He said: "We have to consider whether the current arrangements are fair and applied equally to everyone.

"The decisions we make on this issue will have an impact on what savings we need to make and what services we provide."

The issue will be considered by the council cabinet on May 1. Any changes would take effect from September 2008.

West Sussex County Council's consultation period has ended on February 9. The council is expected to reach a decision at Easter.

Would you child be affected by the funding cut? Leave your messages below.