A FATHER-of-one claims his daughter and wife stranded late at night after a scheduled bus failed to turn up.

Furious Peter Best criticised the First Manchester bus company after he claimed the last scheduled 540 service failed to turn up, leaving his wife, Lorraine, and 13-year-old daughter, Hayley, stranded a bus stop in Callis Road, Deane, at 10.45pm last Sunday.

Mr Best, of The Pewfist, Westhoughton, said he had to fork out £8 in taxi fares to pay for Mrs Best and Hayley to return safely home after the pair had visited a relative's house.

The 47-year-old claimed it was the second time in two months that the last scheduled 540 service from Bolton to Wigan had not arrived.

And he has written to First Manchester bosses demanding a refund for bus fares and compensation for the taxi fare.

Mr Best, a former bus driver, said: "They had arrived at the bus stop in good time and waited for 15 minutes in the freezing cold for the bus.

"It never showed and my wife rang me, worried because it was late at night.

"They were six miles away and I had to book a taxi to get them home.

"I cannot afford to pay £8 in taxi fares every time the bus doesn't turn up. They normally have no problems coming home except on these two occasions.

"It's just not good enough."

Simon Bennett, managing director of First Manchester said: "We have responded to Mr Best, offering our apologies for any inconvenience and explained that on the night of Sunday November 23, the bus driver was suddenly taken ill and was not able to drive.

"We immediately informed the GMPTE bus station bus supervisor's office that the service could not be operated.

"We have also offered Mr Best compensation in the form of travel vouchers. We do not operate a taxi fare refund scheme.

"Last Sunday, the service was not operated because the allocated driver failed to report for duty. Again, GMPTE was informed.

"Customer safety and security is one of our prime concerns and we try to ensure that the last service is always operated.

"Sometimes, as in these instances, this isn't possible."