A MAN is demanding compensation from a North-East coach firm after claiming a dream trip to Paris turned sour.

Jonathan Landers, of Northallerton, North Yorkshire, had booked a two-night stay with his wife, Jane, in the French capital, with Stockton-based Delta Coach Travel.

However, they claim the mini-break, booked to celebrate Mr Lander's 40th birthday, went downhill rapidly from the moment they stepped on to the coach.

Mr Landers said the coach broke down, leaving passengers stranded at a service station for more than two hours, so the couple did not get to their hotel until midnight.

The coach toilet was blocked, giving off a foul smell, and the vehicle was dirty, Mr Landers said. He said he was concerned about safety when he saw the front windscreen was cracked.

He has written to Delta Coach Travel, asking for an apology and compensation and has called the company several times, but has waited for more than a month for a reply.

"All we want is an explanation of what went wrong, an apology and some compensation for the upset," he said.

But Peter Munday, a director of Delta Coach Travel, dismissed the compensation claim. "We pay compensation if coaches are delayed for more than five hours, but this was only a three-hour delay," he said. "The toilets were blocked by a crisp packet, which was beyond our control, and they are for emergency use only.

"I do not believe you can be stranded in a service station with all the facilities they have, and it's worth pointing out that we have received no complaints from anyone else who was on that trip."