A bus driver physically threw a teenager off his bus because he didn't believe he was disabled. Mark Winstanley has a rare muscular condition which means he has a pass which enables him to have free bus travel.
But when Mark, 18, a photography and art student, boarded the Stagecoach 256 bus from Flixton to Manchester the driver wouldn't accept he was disabled even though he showed his pass. He said he would have to pay, get off or be thrown off. Mark has a condition called myotonia congenita, which results in his muscles not being able to relax, causing him to fall over several times a day.
He said: "I told him I was disabled but he didn't believe me. When I get nervous my muscles contract and I couldn't move my legs or arms. He picked me up, dragged me and threw me off the bus.
"When I got off the floor he was in a stance as if he wanted to fight me. I just wanted to get up. He got back on the bus and drove off. It was a very scary experience and I was shocked."
Mark suffered bruising and grazes to his leg, arms and hands. His family lodged a complaint with Stagecoach and an investigation was launched.
It is understood the driver, faced with compelling CCTV evidence from on board the bus, admitted the offence and resigned.
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