A disabled mum and huge footie fan has spoken of her dismay after she missed watching England's huge Euros win because two bus drivers wouldn't make room for her wheelchair.

Emma Wild, 34, from Larkfield, wanted to watch the Three Lions' clash with Germany last Tuesday at her local, Ham Hill Working Mens Club, just a six minute drive from her home.

But two consecutive bus drivers did not let her on as pushchairs were already in the wheelchair space - something she says that has become a common occurrence and has left her feeling like a second-class citizen.

Ms Wild, a mum of two, said: "I came home and cried. I was so upset, I don't get out very often, so I thought 'I am going to get out this week, I am really looking forward to it'.

"My England shirt was all washed and pressed and ready to go."

Now, Ms Wild is preparing to give herself two hours for the short journey to the club, where she plays poker, in order to watch England's semi-final against Denmark tomorrow evening.

She has described the situation as "totally ridiculous", adding "I shouldn't have to do it."

On Tuesday, June 29, ahead of the 5pm match kick-off for the Germany game, which England won 2-0, Ms Wild was waiting at the Southey Way bus stop.

The first bus had a pushchair in the space for a wheelchair and the driver didn't even stop, and just shook his head and pointed towards the wheelchair space.

She then waited around 30 minutes for the next bus, which also had a pushchair in. This time the driver did stop and opened the doors.

Ms Wild recalled him saying: "'I'm really sorry but I can't get you' on and didn't even attempt to ask them to fold the pushchair down.

"By this point if I waited for the next bus it would have been halfway through so I didn't see much point in watching half a game."

"I was really looking forward to it, I was going to see people and get out and not look at these four walls."

Both vehicles were Arriva buses, which provides services in the Larkfield and Malling area.

The 34-year-old, who is a huge footie fan, was able to watch the England v Ukraine game on Saturday evening at her local club, however she had to give herself two hours to get there, and the first two buses didn't let her on, again because of push chairs occupying her space.

Ms Wild, who has used a wheelchair for the past eight years, says that about once a month she cannot get a bus because the wheelchair space is already occupied by a pram, resulting in her missing important appointments.

On Christmas Eve two years ago, she and her two young daughters, now aged 16 and 10, were left waiting for two hours in the freezing cold.

Ms Wild also says there is a severe lack of taxi companies in the area which can cater for her electric wheelchair.

She says the one company in Maidstone that does have two cars which meet her needs are booked about six months in advance.

She said: "I get angry and frustrated and upset at the same time. I'm angry at the buses, they shouldn't have that pram there, it's for a wheelchair.

"Very rarely do the drivers ask them to fold it down. A lot of the time the children are fully capable of getting out, they are three or four-years-old.

'I get angry and frustrated and upset at the same time...'

"That's the bit I find extra frustrating, when they are not a baby, they are a small child.

"I'm angry at the taxi services, in my mind it's discrimination. I think it should be mandatory, if you have a taxi company, you have to have at least one or two accessible vehicles on the road."

In June 2017, the supreme court ruled that bus companies must do more to ensure wheelchair users are given priority spaces on buses.

The court case centred on a failed attempt by Doug Paulley, a wheelchair user, to board a FirstGroup bus from Wetherby to Leeds in 2012. The wheelchair space was being used by a mother with a pushchair and a sleeping child.

Arriva said Ms Wild's complaint is being investigated at their Maidstone depot, which will include a full review of CCTV.

At this stage, the company said it cannot provide any further details or a wider statement on the alleged issue.

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