A FOREST woman has described a journey to Gloucester and back by a Stagecoach double-decker bus as a nightmare.

Travelling to the city for a hospital appointment last Thursday, the woman, who was caring for her nine months old daughter, was first stranded at Chaxhill, Westbury-on-Severn, when the bus broke down on the inward journey.

She and other passengers waited patiently and boarded the next bus into Gloucester.

"It's hard to believe but on the bus home exactly the same thing happened only this time the bus broke down at Littledean. I couldn't believe it. It turned what should have been a three hour round trip into a five and half hour marathon," she said.

To make matters worse, the woman – who had travelled from Coleford – said she spoke to the driver and discovered the bus that broke down at Littledean was the same vehicle that had failed earlier in the day.

"I had taken the number 30 on the way in and 31 on the way out. There have been a lot of problems on this route with unreliable buses and now I can understand why there are so many complaints.

"It's a ridiculous state of affairs. It is not the fault of the drivers – they are brilliant – but it is a management problem. They need a good kick up the backside. It was an horrendous journey for everyone but one made much more difficult with a child to care for," she said.