MORE than 40 Bolton schoolchildren will be kept from their lessons on Monday as Bolton's fuel shortage continues to bite.

Town hall officials confirmed today that 35 special needs youngsters had not been able to travel out of town to their classrooms, amid fears they would not be able to get home.

On Monday morning another eight children will be affected as fuel supplies remain at a premium in the town.

Today Bolton Council confirmed it is continuing to monitor the petrol availability situation as the youngsters -- who travel daily to special needs schools -- remain at home.

A spokesman said: "Transport for our special needs children has been affected with 35 children not being able to attend schools in and out of the Borough because transport providers have not been able to guarantee that they can getting them there and bring them back home.

"Another eight children will be affected from Monday. No school in primary, secondary or special needs school in Bolton has had to close.

"We are constantly monitoring the situation and keeping in touch with suppliers and other agencies. The council are also administering a scheme to provide fuel for other essential services."

The spokesman stressed that although the authority had reserves of diesel and that deliveries nationwide were being made, it was still a serious situation.

He added: "We are ensuring that priority services to vulnerable people are continuing to be met. We are extremely pleased that the government has classified certain council services as essential and that getting fuel to providers of these services is a top priority."

Across the borough, a quarter of filling stations were expected to be back in business today but petrol bosses have warned it could be two weeks before it is business as usual for Bolton motorists.

Refuelled stations were quickly running dry as queues of drivers laid siege to forecourts, with other stations continuing to provide essential supplies to the town's emergency service personnel.

But some motorists again hit out at garage bosses, claiming some petrol stations around the borough had put up their pump prices to cash in on the fuel frenzy.

Bus users in the town were given a reprieve with news that First Manchester had today scrapped plans to run a reduced service after receiving a fresh delivery of diesel.

The bus company, which runs the majority of services in Bolton, had been due to postpone most off-peak journeys.

But replenished fuel stocks mean it is business as usual up to and including Monday.

Operations director Russell Gard was confident full services could still be maintained after that.

He said: "The fuel is beginning to arrive again at our depots and we are confident that providing even limited supplies continue to be delivered at regular intervals, the service beyond Monday will continue at the full operational level."

A spokesman for the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority said most operators are continually reviewing their services on a day to day basis. He added that if deliveries are maintained, the majority of bus operators should be able to resume normal services over the "next few days."

Information about individual services is available from Greater Manchester's Public Transport Information Line on 0161 228 7811.