THE bus driver accused of forcing his way through a funeral cortege has been sacked.

Following a disciplinary hearing, the unnamed Arriva driver was dismissed.

The family of Eileen Scriven, 69, claimed her funeral procession was "turned into a public spectacle" by the driver, who pulled away from a bus stop in front of the horse-drawn hearse.

After hearing of the sacking, one of Mrs Scriven's sons, Lee, 44, said: "It is brilliant news.

"We wanted him sacked. We thought his behaviour was appalling, not just as far as my mum was concerned, but for others as well."

Dozens of shoppers and passers-by watched in disbelief as the driver startled the horses, causing one to shed a shoe.

Funeral director Jon Dyer said he was "nudged" by the driver after asking him to wait to allow the cortege to pass.

Eventually the lead funeral car had to manoeuvre out of the way to allow the bus to pass, before the cortege could make its way to Hill View cemetery in Welling.

An Arriva spokesman said the driver was sacked after an investigation and viewing of the onboard CCTV footage.

He said: "Our sincerest apologies go to the family and the funeral director."