A YOUNG mum is demanding an apology after she was put off a bus in freezing temperatures with a six-month-old baby.

Mother-of-two Tina Hewitt, 28, is furious after she said she was put off the number five York to Strensall Rider York bus on Monday afternoon by the driver because her buggy was blocking the door.

Tina, of Salisbury Terrace, off Leeman Road, York, had her six-month-old son Oliver and five-year-old daughter Emily with her at the time, and said she was told by the driver to "get off and wait for another bus".

The family got on the bus outside the City of York Council offices at St Leonard's Place and travelled less than a mile on the single-decker to York Hospital in Clarence Street before they were asked to get off.

They had got on the bus to get to Tina's sister Tracey's home in Strensall.

Tina said the bus was already full when they got on, and she was forced to stand up at the front with her buggy, which did not collapse.

"The driver told me I'd have to get off, but he didn't have a hungry little boy to get home and feed. I was absolutely disgusted because it was freezing cold outside," said Tina.

Tina said Tracey, who was also on the bus with her own son and daughter, argued with the driver when she realised what was going on, but all of them had to get off regardless.

She said the bus driver should never have let them get on if there was not enough room, and had caved in to pressure from other passengers.

Tina also claimed that when they got off an elderly man with a trolley was allowed on to the bus and blocked the aisle in the same way she had done.

Luckily they only had to wait a short time before getting on the next bus to Strensall, and Tina said she put her buggy in the aisle and had no complaints from the driver.

As a frequent bus traveller, Tina said she had not had any trouble before.

Rider York commercial director Peter Edwards said the incident would be investigated if reported.

He said: "There's only technically space for two folded buggies, but we are quite happy to take people with children in buggies above that number if they are prepared to take them out of the buggy and fold them up.

"At the end of the day we have got to be mindful of passenger safety, and we can't allow buggies to block gangways."

Updated: 10:09 Thursday, December 23, 2004