The IW Observer understands the IW Council is paying for a student’s weekly £400 taxi rides to study in Birmingham.

The Council finally replied to our query about the issue on Wednesday, two-and-a-half weeks after we posed the question.

We have been told that a Newport taxi driver is up early each Sunday to pick up a student and drive him to Birmingham. Then the taxi driver does the repeat journey on Friday to bring him home. The cost? £200 each trip.

The reader who tipped us off said: “How many other kids are chauffeured at our expense across the country to attend college? It is absolutely taking advantage!”

We put our readers’ questions to the IW Council, who, eventually, when they replied, did not deny them.

A council spokesman said: “As the Education Authority we have a statutory duty to support all children with an Education and Health Care Plan that sets out the education, healthcare and social care needs of a child or young person for whom extra support is needed in school, beyond that which the local school can provide.

“It describes all the special education, health and care needs of the child or young person which relate to their disability, sets out all of the extra help and support they will need to overcome barriers to learning, and identifies meaningful education and other outcomes they would like to achieve as they prepare for adult life.

“The Isle of Wight Council has a small number of pupils that travel to the mainland for their educational needs as they cannot be met on the Island. Costs will vary depending on the journeys.”