SCHOOL buses are not just running late, they are not stopping and the drivers are smoking, according to a mother.

Brothers Jack and Adam Jacob use a First bus to Blessed Edward Olcorne Catholic College, Worcester, every morning, but the service is so unreliable they often do not make it to school on time.

Their mother says the problems are starting to affect their schooling.

"I want my kids to do the best at school but how can they?" said mother Kerry Reynolds, of Chedworth Drive, Warndon, Worcester. "It is really getting out of hand; it is going on and on, and with Jack it is affecting his school work."

As previously reported in your Worcester News the school bus service provided by First is often delayed due to vehicles breaking down.

But Mrs Reynolds said 15-year-old Jack and 11-year-old Adam had experienced other problems.

"Last Monday the bus was 30 minutes late," she said. "On Tuesday the bus was early so my boys missed it and had to run more than one-and-a-half miles to the next stop to catch it.

"On Wednesday the boys were at the stop with another pupil and the bus drove straight past them. So the boys and the other pupil had to come home.

"Luckily, I was off work that day, but it should not have happened, it is a designated school bus stop.

"On Friday the children got on the bus and the driver was smoking.

"I was so angry when I found out. We do not want to encourage smoking and I certainly do not want that around my children."

Adam, who started at the school in September, has only attended two morning receptions since he started because of the bus delays.

"They have receptions every Monday, but the pupils all buy their weekly pass on a Monday so it takes time and the bus is delayed.

"It is not good enough when you are paying £4 a week per child I want standards to be better."

Stuart Render, spokesman for First, said they were investigating the complaints made by Mrs Reynolds.

In response to allegations that the driver was smoking, he said: "It is illegal for a driver, or anyone, to smoke on a bus.

"They should not be doing it and if it happens we want to know and then we can take appropriate action."

He said that there was "no excuse" for a bus being early and in relation to the bus failing to stop he said: "If a clear signal is given the bus should stop, and we are investigating why the driver did not stop on this occasion."

Mr Render also said First was in discussion with Worcestershire County Council about allowing extra time on a Monday morning for pupils to buy their passes.