IRATE mothers are up in arms over new buses which mean they have to fold their buggies before boarding.

The mothers are not allowed to push buggies and prams on to the new longer-style bus serving the Dines Green estate in Worcester.

They say having to fold their buggies, while juggling with children, shopping and their bus fare is causing them stress.

Caroline Markovic, of Dowland Gardens, said she hurt her hand and back trying to lift her buggy onto the top shelf of the longer bus while trying to hold her 15-month-old daughter Emma at the same time.

"You could push the prams on to the low-floor style buses before, it was great," said the 42-year-old, who also has a son Ben aged three.

"Then, all of sudden, they took these buses off, and now you have to fold up the buggies and take the babies out.

"You have to put the buggies up on the high shelf and they can get damaged.

"They should consider us mums a bit.

"I know about 20 other mothers who have complained about this and I'm thinking of starting up a petition"

Angie Clay, who runs the Parent and Toddler group at the Green Centre, Dines Green, said members of her group had also expressed concern.

"It can be quite stressful for mothers because many people get quite impatient waiting for them, while they try to juggle three or four things at once.

"I think there is a need to return to old-style buses where you could push prams straight on,"

Dawid Maciejewski a human resources and communications manager of First, which runs the service, said the law to fold up pushchairs had always existed.

He said people started wheeling their prams on to the low-floor buses that came into operation last year, because of their design.

"Mums thought they could push their pushchairs on because there was room on there for wheelchairs," he said.

"But when two people did this there was an argument and one had to put their pushchair down.

"We had fighting customers and one assault between three irate mothers.

"In terms of health and safety, the prams can block the gangways.

"We provide a very professional, reliable service to Dines Green and we don't want our customers to be upset.

"The safest way is for children to be on their mothers' laps. That way everybody can have a safe journey."