People who are entrusted with taking children to and from school have a strong responsibility to do the job carefully and conscientiously. That is true for all children, but is particularly important if the youngster has special needs - like Asma Shah who, although she is 18, has the mental age of a three-year-old and needs help with everything, including unfastening her seatbelt.

How terrified Asma must have been, then, to find herself abandoned alone on a school mini-bus for nearly seven hours while it sat in Wrose Travel's depot in Otley Road. It's hardly any wonder that when she finally arrived home she was crying and deeply traumatised, according to her father.

There are several questions that need to be answered about this incident, the chief one being: how on earth was Asma not spotted in the back of the minibus by either the driver or escort or one of the teachers at Chapel Grange Special School? There were, after all, only four other children on the bus. Counting them off could hardly have been an onerous task.

And why, when Asma's absence from school was noted, were her family not contacted? Mr Shah says that when she is not going to attend school they usually telephone to let the staff know. When she didn't arrive and no call had been made, some alarm bell should have rung.

It is good to learn that, according to West Yorkshire Transport Services, a full investigation is being held into this incident. Lessons need to be learned, and tight procedures put in place to ensure that no youngster has to go through such an ordeal ever again.