A mother is furious after her son had to walk three miles home when a police officer told him to get off a packed bus.

Lynne Innes, 36, of East Walk, Hayes, says she is angry because her son, Adam, 11, had to get off the overcrowded bus even though he had told the officer he had just used his last £2 for his ticket and did not have money to get on another one.

The incident happened last Tuesday, just after Adam left Barnhill Community School, in Yeading Lane, Hayes, and tried to get onto the 140 bus going towards Hayes town centre.

Mrs Innes says she was made angrier when she complained to the police and was told by an officer that he did not see what the problem was, as he himself walked three miles home as a boy.

She said: "I just wanted the police to acknowledge that my son was vulnerable, because I don't feel that it was safe for him to walk through Hayes town on his own or cross the roads that he had to. He has only just left primary school and I don't let him go wandering in Hayes town centre by himself.

"He could have had been mugged for his phone - it may be unlikely, but crime does happen here and I don't feel that my son should have been exposed to it unnecessarily."

Mrs Innes added, however, that her complaint was passed on to Sergeant Helen Mott, who did handle the situation very well and apologised for the previous officer's response and said she will inform officers to be more aware in this situation.

She explained: "I think it has highlighted the problem there is with overcrowding in buses."

Inspector Andy Jones said: "If there is overcrowding on a bus we would expect our officers to remove people from it, as it poses a danger and it is an offence for the driver to continue on his route with an overcrowded bus.

"People who are told to get off are entitled to a return fare. If a person is unhappy with the removal from a bus they can make a public complaint to the police service."