Young thug urinated on bus seat

Jan 26 2007 By Ben Hurst, Birmingham Mail

PASSENGERS were horrified when a young thug openly urinated while travelling on a bus.

The incident, involving a schoolboy happened on a No.8 bus and left fellow-passengers stunned.

Operator Travel West Midlands has launched a full investigation into the incident, which highlights a "yob culture" blamed for driving people off the city's buses.

The Birmingham Mail is urging readers to take part in a survey aiming to find out what the true picture behind the falling numbers.

We want to find out what the experience is of our readers on the city's buses - if they use them, and if not, why not.

Travel West Midlands said officials were now scrutinising CCTV footage in a bid to track down the person responsible for the distasteful incident.

Birmingham lollipop lady Zena Bennett, aged 64, said: "The kids got on and went to the back of the bus.

"One of them just urinated up the back of a seat in front of him. It was just disgusting. It was running down the aisle to the front of the bus and people had to walk through it to get off.

"I went to the driver and he just shrugged his shoulders and said 'So?'."

Mrs Bennett, of Bordesley Green, added: "People would have been going to visit people in hospital who were on the bus, and they could have been taking all sorts of infections with them.

"It was that kind of yobbish behaviour which put people off using public transport. When they clean the buses they jet wash the outside and just sweep the inside."

A spokesman for Travel West Midlands said it was having trouble tracking down the bus and the driver. It is thought to have happened at about 4pm in the Acocks Green area on Friday, January 12.

The spokesman said: "We are conducting a full internal investigation and would urge any passengers with worries or issues to contact us directly with the full details.

"This would also enable CCTV to be scrutinised."

* For more on our bus survey, visit www.birminghammail.net/news/buses