A schoolgirl was left stranded in Sidcup after a bus driver refused to let her get on – despite the fact she is only 10.

Saffron Thavener tried to board the 269 bus from Station Road, Sidcup, on January 14 after finishing at nearby Longlands Primary School, to travel to her home in Mount Road, Bexleyheath.

Even though children under 11 do not need Oyster cards to board buses, the driver did not believe she was 10 and allegedly made her get off the bus.

Saffron walked back to school, then called her mother to come and collect her.

Mum Juanita, 42, said: "Saffron has lost her confidence about going on public transport. The next day she was worrying about having to get on the bus.

"I can’t drive because I’ve got a broken ankle so I had to get a taxi to come and collect her.

"Imagine what would have happened if she hadn’t walked back to school and had tried to walk home. 

"Or the school could have been closed - it just happened there was an after-school club going on. 

"Some kids would have tried to walk home and then something awful could have happened."

Ms Thavener is angry about the way the bus driver spoke to her daughter.

She said: "He banged on the glass and asked if she had an Oyster card. 

"When she said she didn’t have one since she was only 10, he said: ‘get off the bus – off you get, bye bye’.

"She was on her own, and she was forced to get off the bus in front of loads of other kids and adults in rush hour.

"It’s totally wrong and I think it's disgraceful. To leave a child stranded at the end of the day is just not right.

"I complained to TfL and they said they’d investigate it, they said the bus driver had acted against their policy and she should have been allowed on the bus."

TfL’s head of bus operations Ken Davidson said: "I’m very sorry to hear of this passenger’s experience. 

"All children under 11 have a right to free travel on London’s buses although sometimes determining age can be difficult. 

"We have Zip Oyster photocards for children aged between five and 10 available in order to prevent such situations from arising and we would encourage parents to obtain these for their children.    

"However in cases where a child does not have a valid photocard, we have an established process, which safeguards vulnerable passengers and it seems this was not followed on this occasion.  

"Stagecoach, the company which operates the 269 bus route, has been made aware of this incident and will be investigating the circumstances."