Two sisters from Knowle had to get their nan to drive them to school after a bus driver refused to sell them weekly bus tickets to Withywood.

Stevie Woodland, 15, and her 11-year-old sister Bonnie, go to the new Merchants Academy, formerly Withywood School.

Throughout last year Stevie bought weekly tickets for £13.20 from the First bus driver when she boarded the number 36 in Leinster Avenue, Knowle, each Monday morning.

But when she boarded the bus with her younger sister on Monday this week the driver said he could not sell her weekly tickets.

The girls got off the bus and went to their grandmother's house. She was able to give them a lift to school.

Their mother Nicola Parker, 35, was furious when she heard what had happened.

She said: "My eldest daughter has been buying a weekly bus ticket without a problem for the past year.

"But when she tried to get the tickets for her and her sister today the bus driver refused to sell them to her.

"It happened to other children who go to Merchants Academy too.

"The driver said he was not allowed to sell the weekly tickets any more without photo ID.

"We had no warning of this.

"The children have never had to produce ID before. It was obvious they were school children - they were wearing school uniform."

The sisters could have bought child tickets for £3 each but the total for the week would have been £30 instead of £26.40

for the weekly child tickets.

Bus company First confirmed that children under 16 need to show a First child photo ID card in order to buy a weekly bus ticket.

Parents can download an application form from First's website.

The completed form has to be taken with a passport sized photo and proof of the child's age to Bristol Bus Station or the TravelBristol Info Centre in Colston Avenue.

Forms can also be sent with a photo and proof of age to the Passes Administrator, First Bristol, Enterprise House, Easton Road, Bristol, BS5 0DZ

A First company spokeswoman said that drivers had been advised to allow under 16s to buy weekly tickets without photo ID for the next month to give families time to apply for the ID cards.

Communications manager Suzannah Marsh said: "We understand there has been some misunderstanding around whether under-16s need a photocard to buy child First Week tickets in zones 1 and 2 from a driver.

"A child photocard is necessary to prove that the customer is eligible for a discount on the standard adult weekly ticket price and we will be requiring children to have photocards for weekly tickets in the future.

"However we have instructed our drivers to allow under-16s to buy and use child First Week tickets without a photocard for a further month, to allow time for photocards to be applied for.

"Photocards are free and valid for three years."

Photocards will be needed from November 8.