A bus company has pledged to investigate claims a Fulston Manor School pupil was verbally abused by one of its drivers.

Emily Long says it happened on an Arriva 368 service, between Queenborough and Minster.

The 17-year-old boarded and attempted to use her cousin’s school bus pass, which she admits was wrong.

However, after the driver recognised it was not hers, he confiscated it and she paid the full £3.50 fare.

But a verbal altercation then erupted between the sixth-former and the driver, with both parties alleging they were subjected to a torrent of abuse.

Miss Long, who lives with her family in Eastern Avenue, Queenborough, said: “I paid him the fare, but he kept saying really abusive stuff to me.

“I’m not going to lie, I know I shouldn’t have used the pass, but I’m still in education and it’s sometimes hard to find the money.

“But he was calling me scum, using foul language, and making comments about my appearance.

“I just want him to apologise; I didn’t deserve it.”

Now Miss Long has lodged an official complaint at the Sheerness bus depot, where she said staff were helpful and polite.

Arriva said that following an initial interview with the driver, it would be carrying out a full investigation, including reviewing CCTV footage from the bus.

A spokesman explained the driver claimed he was initially subjected to a number of insults after warning Miss Long she was potentially committing fraud by using a pass that was not hers.

He added: “The driver asked the lady to stop [abusing him] or get off and allegedly lost his temper, which we do not condone.

“I can assure our customers that our drivers take great pride in the service level that we give to passengers and this experience is not typical of an Arriva journey.

“Whilst we have sympathy for the complainant, we must also ensure that we look into the matter thoroughly to be fair to both individuals.”