A THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD girl was refused entry onto a bus because her pass had expired a minute earlier.

Sophie Wilcock had to walk home on her own after she was told her travel pass was not valid after 9pm.

Her mother has criticised the driver for putting her daughter at risk, and said the bus company should make people more aware of the rules governing travel passes for young people.

Sophie had been in Darlington town centre and had hoped to get the Number 4 bus back to her home, in the Brinkburn Road area of town.

However, when she tried to board the bus with her weekly travel pass, the driver told her it was not valid after 9pm.

Sophie pointed out that by her watch, it was still 8.59pm, but the driver said he made it 9.01pm and would not let her on without paying.

Because she had no money, she was forced to walk the two miles back to her home.

Last night, Sophie’s mother, Caroline, said: “She had to walk home on her own. You do not put a 13-year-old girl in that position. There was no credit on her phone.

“It was dark by the time she got home and I was worried sick. The really annoying thing is the bus used to come at 8.50pm, but they changed it so it is now at the stop at 9.02pm.”

Ms Wilcock went to the depot that evening to complain, but feels she has still not been given a satisfactory explanation.

She said: “There is nothing on the terms and conditions of the bus pass that says it is not valid after 9pm.

“She was not in a group, she was by herself.

“I have bought her a weekly pass every week for the last year and there has never been any literature or anything that has come with it.

“I bought her it thinking I have got piece of mind that she is getting home safely and then this happens.”

John Fozzard, of Arriva North-East, said the 9pm limit was brought in on the bus passes after problems with youths becoming unruly on the buses late at night.

However, he said that if Sophie was unable to pay for her ticket, the driver should have taken her details so she could have been billed for the fare.

He said: “The publicity that is put out with the ticket makes it clear that it is not valid after 9pm. I am sorry she only discovered it now.

“I accept that the bus driver could have dealt with that situation a bit better.”