Parents in Nottingham are being told they should pay for damage to busses caused by schoolchildren.

Nottingham City Transport has started billing parents in a bid to cut down on vandalism to their vehicles.

Another bus company has decided it will no longer carry children from one school in the city.

Parents are also having to help pay for hiring a private coach to get their children to and from school.

'Obscenities'

Bus companies are fighting back because, they say, their vehicles are being damaged on a daily basis.

Nicola Tidy from Nottingham City Transport said: "Children regularly open the emergency exit and we have regular problems with terrible litter.

One driver resigned after being spat at by children

Nicola Tidy - Nottingham City Transport

"But the biggest problem in terms of vandalism is the seats which are daubed with obscenities.

"It's not something we can continually fund out of our own pocket.

"We now go back to the schools with the offending evidence and actually invoice the parents for the damage."

Bus operators are also banning children because of threats to drivers and, in some cases, violence.

Resignation

One company has stopped picking up children from Bramcote Park School after a passenger complained of being attacked by a group of pupils.

The school has had to hire coaches to transport pupils and parents are having to make a financial contribution.

The problem is also affecting people who work on the busses.

Nicola Tidy said: "One driver resigned. He was very upset because a child had thrown a seat out of the window.

"The previous week he'd been spat at by children."