A MOTHER is furious after her 11-year-old son was left stranded after a school bus driver refused to let him on board because he was too muddy.

King Edmund High School pupil Stefan Westgate rushed to board the bus at 3.30pm on Tuesday after a football game, but the driver stopped him and said he could not travel because he was “dripping with mud”.

The distraught Year 7 pupil at the Rochdord school had not changed after playing in goal because he was worried he would miss the bus. After the driver banned him, he ended up walking more than a mile to his father’s work in central Rochford.

Mum Wendy, 35, of Mariners Court, Great Wakering, said: “He was distraught.

“Stefan is an 11-year-old boy and didn’t think to go back to school or ask if the driver would wait for him. “The driver should have said he would wait if he wanted to go and get changed. I rely on those buses to get him home safely.

“The bus company said it had video evidence that Stefan was dripping with mud, but looking at his clothes, he wasn’t very muddy at all.

Mother-of-three Mrs Westgate said King Edmund’s reaction to the drama had been reassuring.

She said: “I don’t have a problem with the school over this.

“It has been very helpful. I spoke to Stefan’s head of year and she was horrified.”

Christine Packer, school business manager, said: “I am investigating this incident with the bus company, Stephensons, and Essex County Council.

“We cannot comment further until a full investigation has been carried out.”

When the Echo approached Stephensons about the incident yesterday the company refused to comment.