A worried mum has written to the Mayor of London as she tries to find a local school for her four-year-old son.

And the council have admitted that an influx of parents moving into the borough since September has led to a shortage in the number of places in reception classes.

Sarra Bird has been offered a place for her son, Sonny, in Biggin Hill and Orpington - the second is around five miles away from her home in Leaves Green Road, Keston.

The 34-year-old doesn’t have regular access to a car and says that travelling to Orpington would involve catching two buses, adding around 15 hours travel time each week.

The married mum-of-two said: “I sent an email to Boris Johnson because I am desperate for something to be done.

“We can’t send our son to the school we want because there are simply not enough places.

“The waiting lists are just so long and there are lots and lots of parents that do not have the place they want in January.

“We lost an appeal to send our son to Keston Primary School even though most of his friends are going there."

She added: “I care where Sonny goes and its important to me. It should be local schools for local children.”

Depending on their age, children in the borough either start school in September or January. Sonny is due to begin school in January.

His application is one of 3,350 received by Bromley Council this year.

Council bosses say that all applicants were offered one of 3,525 reception places.

However, a spokesman admitted that the council has received a greater number of applications than in previous years from parents moving into the borough after the start of the school year.

Education chiefs at the local authority say this has created a shortage of places in some areas of the borough, meaning some schools have agreed to take additional pupils.