A MUM is furious after her son was told he could not use his monthly bus pass because the ink on the ticket was too faint.

Billy Joyce, 13, purchased a month-long bus ticket for £38 on September 1 to get him from his home, in Kimberley Road, Benfleet, to the King John School, in Shipwrights Drive, Thundersley.

However, after less than a fortnight, the bus driver on the First bus route refused to accept his pass, claiming he could no longer make out the date.

Billy’s mum, Ann, is now faced with having to fork out another £38.

She said: “I am so angry about this and feel as though we really are being ripped off by First.

“He bought his pass on the bus on September 1 and it is valid until September 30.

“He was fine for the first few days, but then, last week, he came in and said the bus driver refused to accept his ticket because he could no longer make out the date.

“Luckily, he had change with him, otherwise he would have been stranded at school.”

Mrs Joyce claims the monthly pass is printed on to a bus ticket stub made of flimsy paper.

She said: “The ink is a little bit faint because it is printed on to a bus ticket stub that he has been taking out of a plastic ticket wallet every day.

“But you can clearly make out the expiry date is September 30.

“I do not understand why they would print a month-long pass on to a flimsy bus ticket in the first place. if the ink is going to fade.”

Mrs Joyce claims she has tried numerous time to contact First Bus customer services to complain, but had been left on hold for up to 15 minutes. She said: “I just cannot believe they would rip off children in this way.”

First failed to comment.