A NEW mum is calling for a bus company to warn passengers with young children they may be refused a ride home.

Nursery nurse Dani Edgell was returning home to Stockwood from Union Street in the city centre after taking her five-week-old daughter Faith out for the first time.

But the 23-year-old was left stranded after two First Bristol drivers refused to let her on because she had a buggy.

It was only after her partner Roger Prestidge, 25, called First's head office that the company ensured a driver would make sure she could get a ride home.

First are investigating the incident and say that not all buses are equipped to carry buggies.

Miss Edgell said: "Me and Faith had been in hospital for one month because she'd had an undiagnosed cleft palate.

"This was the first time I'd taken her into town so I wanted to get back for her feed at three that afternoon.

"I was waiting to get the Number 54. A bus came at 1.30pm but the bus driver just said, 'I don't take push chairs', and drove off.

"When a second one came along about 10 minutes later a bloke was helping me get the chair on the bus so I didn't hear the driver speaking.

"He said 'Where do you think you're going to take your pushchair? We don't take pushchairs'."

By this time little Faith was becoming restless in her retractable chair – small enough to be folded to fit into a Vauxhall Corsa.

Miss Edgell added: "I burst into tears because after everything that's happened with Faith, it was really upsetting.

"They should warn people with young babies about this. I was getting stressed and Faith was also getting upset."

After she got home, the couple contacted First Bristol customer service.

They said the driver should have given them a reason for refusing admission onto the bus.

According to company policy, pushchairs are not allowed on the bus if the vehicle is full; if there is a wheelchair already onboard, or if it is at a bus stop designated to refuse pushchairs.

First-time mum Miss Edgell cannot drive and depends on bus services.

She added: "It should be written somewhere so people don't get stranded with young children. I would have happily folded down my chair but the driver didn't even ask me. It's very slim so it wouldn't have taken up much space."

Bicycle shop manager Mr Prestidge said: "It's disgusting. I've been using the service for 20 years. We've never been refused before and I don't understand why it's happened now."

The couple have since forked out £90 for a smaller pushchair in the hope the family never have to go through such an experience again.

They have already paid £250 for a chair they used for less than a week after Faith came out of hospital.

"It's definitely cut us short," said Mr Prestidge.

Spokeswoman for First, Suzannah Marsh, said: "We carry a large number of passengers with pushchairs on our services every day. Many of our buses have dedicated space for pushchairs and wheelchairs and we are pleased to say that more of these buses will be introduced soon on this route.

"There are occasions however when pushchairs cannot be safely carried. Normally if there is no room for a pushchair, then a driver would ask for it to be folded away if there is space for it to be safely stored in the luggage rack. We were very concerned to hear about this complaint and we are investigating."