'Foreign bus driver ordered two-year-old off bus for offensive England shirt'

Angry mother mum Sam Fardon says her toddler son was ordered off a bus – because the driver found his England shirt "offensive". Two-year-old Dylan Hall was with his mum and baby brother Adam, aged 10 weeks, when they were told to leave the 34A service from Newcastle Bus Station. Miss Fardon says it was only after other passengers intervened that they were allowed on to the bus.

The 27-year-old, from Trent Vale, left with Dylan, said: "As we got on the bus, my two-year-old son had an England shirt on and the bus driver, who had an Eastern European accent, said he found it offensive. "He said, 'he won't be wearing that during the World Cup, will he'? I said Dylan would and the bus driver said: 'I find that really offensive'. I couldn't believe it. He said we'd have to get off the bus but I argued with him and other passengers backed me up, so he let us on.


Photo from here.

"I think it's disgraceful. I had baby Adam with me as well, luckily he wasn't wearing his England baby-grow." Miss Fardon's partner Chris Hall, aged 55, a taxi driver, said: "I'm not very happy about it. It's just showing support for your country during a World Cup, there's nothing offensive about it. During the World Cup I will have England flags on my taxi."

Selwyn Brown, chairman of North Staffordshire bus users group Aces, said: "It's unbelievable. Assuming it's true, the bus driver is to be condemned. Not just because there's nothing wrong with wearing an England shirt, but that it was a little child. It's totally ludicrous." Paul De Santis, commercial director of First Bus, confirmed the firm was following up the complaint. He said: "We are investigating. We will be following it up with the customer to get a bit more detail."