A DISABLED Army veteran has criticised a transport company, after he was kicked off a bus almost two miles from the nearest stop over a two-minute ticketing technicality.

Paul Cooper – who has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after a 16-year career with the Green Howards – was travelling on the X66 Arriva service from Darlington to Stockton last week, when he realised he was no longer in possession of a valid ticket.

Mr Cooper suffers memory problems, including dementia-like symptoms, following several traumatic tours of duty in Northern Ireland, as well as Bosnia.

Because of his ailing health, he has a free Government-issue disabled persons' bus pass, which is valid from 9.30am to 11pm on weekdays and all day at weekends.

To enable him to travel earlier, the 45-year-old father-of-one buys a weekly ticket that entitles him to travel on buses in and around around Darlington.

Mr Cooper said he and his white boxer dog, Hooch, were ordered off the bus after it crossed from Darlington borough into Stockton on the A66, at 9.28am last Tuesday (April 13).

He said the driver stopped the bus in a layby, about one-and-a-half miles from the nearest stop, climbed out of his cab and walked up the single-decker bus to where the former Lance Corporal and his dog were sitting.

Much to Mr Cooper's shock, he was told, in front of other passengers, to get off the bus immediately.

Because he had travelled out of the geographic area covered by his paid-for ticket and his free pass was moments from reaching the time it became valid, Mr Cooper was technically without a valid ticket, albeit very briefly.

He realised the oversight and offered to buy a ticket to cover the gap, but said the driver refused to listen and insisted he got off the bus.

Mr Cooper, who lives in Darlington, said he and Hooch were left with no choice but to walk slowly back towards home.

He has complained to Arriva about the treatment he received.

The company said it was "very disappointed" to hear about the incident and said it is investigating.

Describing the humiliating experience, Mr Cooper said: "I showed the driver my disability pass and he was not interested. It would have been valid two minutes later.

"I was in the wrong, but he did not give me a chance to even go to the next actual bus stop, he just kicked me off. I was mortified."

Mr Cooper joined the Army in 1986 and later worked at the Green Howards museum, in Richmond, North Yorkshire.

Due to his health problems, he has been semi-retired since 2009.

He added: "When I got off the bus, I had no idea where I was, I just walked back towards Darlington, completely in shock.

"It was about a mile-and-a-half back to the previous bus stop.

"I have memory problems and get confused about where I am, so I do not often make trips that I am not used to.

"Going to Stockton was a very rare trip for me."

Nick Knox, area managing director for Arriva North-East, said: “We were very disappointed to hear about this incident.

"The gentleman has been in contact with customer services. We are investigating exactly what happened.”

Mr Cooper said he has yet to receive a thorough response to his complaint and said Arriva had pledged to get back to him within ten days.

He was diagnosed with PTSD three years ago and said: "It affects me every day, some days are worse than others, but it is normally triggered if I go somewhere I do not know."

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