Father’s fury after school bus driver is caught smoking

Man filmed puffing on cigarette at the wheel as he drove pupils ‘This law has been in force for a long time now and the driver has no respect whatsoever’

A school bus driver filmed puffing on a cigarette at the wheel has been told he will never work for the coach firm again.

Footage shot by parent Glenn Westfield shows the man smoking as children board the vehicle before throwing the stub out of the window in Staple Street, Wingham.

Mr Westfield, 49, whose 14-yearold daughter Charline had just boarded the bus, sent the video to bosses at Canterbury’s Roberts Coaches.

He said: “I was pretty devastated actually. My daughter has a kidney disease and spends a lot of time in London hospitals.

“She is on some serious medication that suppresses her immune system and she catches things very easily. So something we try to avoid is her being around people who smoke. Even any perfectly healthy kid shouldn’t be around people who smoke.

“This law has been in force for a long time now and the driver has no respect whatsoever. I was pretty annoyed.”

“I don’t know the company but they should vet their drivers a bit better and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Under UK law it is illegal to smoke in a private vehicle with a minor present except for convertible cars with the roof fully down.

Company vehicles must be smoke-free if they are used to transport members of the public or used in the course of paid or voluntary work by more than one person.

Dad-of-four Mr Westfield complained to his daughter’s school and Roberts Coaches, who told him the driver was a temporary member of staff.

The company has issued a letter of apology to parents.

Owner Mary Roberts wrote: “We have been made aware of the incident on the school bus this morning.

“We have dealt with this matter with immediate effect and the driver will NOT be driving for Roberts Coaches any longer.

“We wish to apologise for any upset that has occurred and can only make sure that this does not happen again.”

A video still from Glenn Westfield’s footage of the driver smoking on a school bus