A disabled woman refused entry to a bus because she was on a mobility scooter has won an apology from the council.

Steve and Ann Ingham were left stunned after a driver said they could not board the service at the New Dover Road park and ride during a recent visit to Canterbury.

It meant the couple were forced to get back into their car and drive into the congested city centre, where parking charges are higher.

They have since described the incident as “laughable” and say it left them feeling “like victims of discrimination”.

Canterbury City Council says the driver was wrong to have not allowed them onto the bus – and operator Stagecoach will apologise to Mr and Mrs Ingham directly.

The pair, from Spalding in Lincolnshire, had taken a trip to Canterbury for the first time on the morning of Wednesday, October 4.

They paid £4 to park at the New Dover Road site – a fee which has since been refunded – and then went to get on the bus, only to be told by the driver that “mobility scooters aren’t allowed”.

Mr Ingham, a civil servant, told KentOnline he and his wife have been left annoyed and frustrated by the way they were treated.

“I think it’s completely wrong in this day and age and we want to warn other people about it,” the 67-year-old said.

“We didn’t know if the driver was just fobbing us off. She just shrugged us off when we tried to discuss the matter.”

Mr Ingham says they have not experienced such a situation during their travels elsewhere.

“I’m used to going to cities where they have a park and ride and you think ‘thank God for that’, but here it was an issue,” he said.

“It’s laughable. If they’re trying to push people to use the park and ride, this is the worst way of trying to get people to do it.”

“We spoke to quite a lot of traders and everyone we spoke to was horrified...”

The pair have been married for 42 years and are still adjusting to Mrs Ingham’s disability.

A series of heart problems forced the former nurse to have a pacemaker fitted three years ago. She can only walk 50 or so yards before having to use her electric scooter.

In attempts to plan ahead, the couple often check before they travel, with a lack of information on the council website and no signage at the facility further adding to their sense of injustice.

Mr Ingham said: “You have to think differently now. You get some places where you can’t use your blue badge unless you’re a local, so you get used to looking ahead of time at what restrictions might be in place.

“We looked up on the web pages to see if the park and ride is disabled-friendly. There was no mention of mobility scooters not being allowed.

“There were no signs. If anything it looked disabled-friendly from the outside, with one of those ramps which can let people in wheelchairs on board – so why was a mobility scooter banned?”

Mr Ingham added: “We spoke to quite a lot of traders and everyone we spoke to was horrified.

“It gives out the wrong message. Most places right now are disabled-friendly and this is the way to be.

“We were forced further into the city which adds to the congestion the council is trying to avoid.”

CCC spokesman Rob Davies told KentOnline many of the drivers on the park and ride service are new, adding there is clearly a need for more training.

"We would like to apologise to Mr and Mrs Ingham for what happened on their recent visit to Canterbury,” he said.

"Having investigated their complaint with our park and ride contractor, Stagecoach, the driver should have accepted their class 2 mobility scooter on board. The company will also be apologising to the couple directly.

"Many of the drivers on the park and ride service are new following a change of depot. Clearly, there is a need for some further training on these issues to make sure this is a one-off incident that cannot happen again.”

Mr Davies highlighted there are currently a range of different mobility scooters in use, some of which cannot be used on buses due to their size, design and weight.

Owners are able to check if their scooter can be accepted onto buses by contacting Stagecoach.

He added: "As part of our learning from the case with Mr and Mrs Ingham, we will be adding information to our park and ride web pages about this."

In November 2020, the council entered into a seven-year deal with Stagecoach to provide park and ride services in Canterbury.

Having operated in the city since 1990, the service has proved to be expensive – costing the council £550,000 in 2022 – and critics have taken aim at the high expenditure compared to the low passenger numbers.

Despite this, the authority’s ruling Labour-Lib Dem coalition is committed to the scheme, even approving the reopening of the Sturry Road site for April next year.