A BUS driver caught transporting special needs children while almost twice over the drink-drive limit has been banned for life from holding a public service vehicle (psv) licence.

The disqualification was imposed on Kevin Elliot, 35, of South Pelaw, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, at a public inquiry in Leeds yesterday.

He did not attend the hearing at the offices of the Department of the Environment, Transport and Regions.

Elliot was sacked by his employer, Lumley Travel, of Quarrington Hill, Durham.

Staff at the company were yesterday relieved to hear their former colleague had been banned, but said they feared adverse publicity might affect business.

A police statement read out at the hearing revealed Elliot was stopped by police and found to be almost twice over the legal drink-driving limit as he drove special needs children to school in a 16-seater minibus.

Traffic commissioner Tom Macartney, delivering his verdict at the hearing, said: "I cannot have somebody driving a passenger-carrying vehicle, particularly full of school children and particularly of special needs school children, while almost two times over the legal limit."

The commissioner said with the disqualification and the added weight of an offence for assault and breach of the peace dating from March last year, there was no chance of him granting Elliot a PSV licence.

"I cannot contemplate him driving children or ever holding a PSV licence again," he said.

A Lumley Travel staff member, who asked not to be named, said of the ruling: "I fully agree with it to be honest. It is company policy not to stand for anything like that.

"We work for long hours to try to keep the company afloat. It has been a tough year and we could do without this."

Elliot appeared before magistrates in Houghton-le-Spring in May last year and was fined £240 for the offence and banned from driving for 18 months.

Magistrates agreed to reduce the ban by four months if he agreed to go on a driver education course. He is eligible for a private car licence this month.