A schoolgirl is enduring an extraordinarily long commute to class as she can't find a place in the area she now lives.

Karina French, eight, spends almost four hours every day on a bus as she cannot get a place at any school in Dartford, and her parents say the daily commute is making her ill.

Kent County Council said it tries to support families in these situations, but popular schools were less likely to have spaces available and the authority could not force a school to offer a space when it was full.

Karina and her family moved to Dartford from Erith in March after buying their new home.

Parents David and Veronica, however, did not predict the long struggle they would face to find a school for their daughter.

They have been speaking with Kent County Council (KCC) and have applied to at least 11 schools since January, but were placed on numerous waiting lists or had no success whatsoever.

In the meantime, Karina endures a four-hour round trip to go to Northumberland Heath Primary, her old school in Erith. Her mum does double the journey, spending up to eight hours on a bus every day as she escorts her daughter to school.

The two leave their home in Chestnut Road, Dartford, at 6.30am and walk 20 minutes to the nearest bus stop to catch the 96 bus, which is on diversion through Bexleyheath at the moment due to works in the area, to then catch a second one to her school.

The long commute is tiring enough but the eight-year-old is now suffering with motion sickness.

David says his daughter does not want to go to school any more, due to the stress her journey brings.

He said: "She’s been off sick 11 days already. She does not want to go to school, which is very much unlike her. Karina always used to love school.

"Her last words to me last night were, 'Dad, I can’t wait to move, I cannot stand this bus journey any longer.'

"She's also continually late for school. She gets a late mark every other day because the buses don't arrive on time. So it’s really stressful for her. It's enough stress for me, let alone for an eight-year-old child."

He added: "If we’d known it was going to be this difficult, we would never have moved to Dartford.

"It's even more difficult for my wife who has to do this bus journey every day there and back twice a day with her. She spends £100 every month just in bus tickets."

The bus journey is their only option, as Veronica does not drive and David needs to be in London by 7am every day.

The mum hasn't been able to go to the office of her family-run business since last winter, as she has no time to travel there. At home, she can barely sit at her desk either, as most of her day is taken up escorting her daughter to school.

David and Veronica have now given up trying to find Karina a place this academic year, and are now planning ahead for September.

A KCC spokesman said: "As with all in-year school admissions, popular schools are less likely to have spaces available. KCC cannot compel a school to offer a space when it is full.

“Officers continue to provide support to families, including signposting to information on support with getting their children to school, to ensure all children have access to a suitable education."

The family hopes the situation gets sorted as soon as possible.

Veronica said: "We are desperate. Karina fell sick once again, this time due to the heat on the bus this morning.

"We will have to finish the academic year with learning from home. I'm sure this can be considered child safety, especially in this extreme weather conditions.

"We might even consider selling our home and move to provide our child a stress-free education, but that will mean we will lose a home we love, which we have just renovated the way our children wanted."