A York pensioner has branded First York buses "a disgrace" after they left her stranded for more than a week by confiscating her bus pass.

And she said insult was added to injury when the company tried to make amends by sending her a single one-way travel voucher without a return ticket.

Now, however, a senior First York manager has publicly apologised and promised to look into her case.

The problem began when May O'Sullivan, who lives in Acomb, was waiting at her local bus stop and a First York ticket inspector asked to see her pass.

She showed it, and while it had officially expired, many concessionary pass holders had been told their passes were valid for an extra month.

May was one of them.

"The inspector didn't know this, and he took the pass off me," said May, of Beckfield Lane. "I couldn't believe it.

"I'm 74 now and I've renewed my pass every year since I qualified for one. Why would this year be any different?"

May, who relies on the bus to visit the shops, her friends and her children, was then left without a pass for ten days.

This meant she had to pay full fare for every journey she made or stay at home.

But she said it is the principle, rather than the cost, that was the problem.

She added: "Yes, I was left out of pocket, but I was more bothered about the way First York went about it.

"That inspector wasn't very nice at all and I think to send me one bus voucher after they made the mistake is an insult.

"They are a disgrace."

When the Evening Press contacted First York Operations Manager Paul Bell, he said it was the first time he had heard of the incident.

But he promised to do something about it.

He said: "A single voucher is wholly inadequate. We will do something about it as soon as we can and I can only apologise to Mrs O'Sullivan.

"The last thing we want to do is cause any upset for our customers."

Updated: 08:31 Wednesday, June 13, 2001