Parents' anger at drink-drive school bus (From Free Press Series)

Parents' anger at drink-drive school bus

2:50pm Wednesday 3rd February 2010

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PARENTS say they refuse to let their children get back on a school bus which crashed, after the driver had been drinking.

Anthony Hoskins, 49, who owns Chepstow-based TJ’s Travel Company, was three times over the legal drink-drive limit when he dropped 30 young children off at Beachley Barracks. Moments later he reversing his single-decker bus into the Army welfare office.

The children, aged between four and 11, were all pupils at Offa’s Mead and Wyedean Primary schools.

Debbie Caple had four children on board the bus that day.

"We were walking off when we heard the crash," she said.

"The children had just got off. I couldn’t believe he had got on a bus that many times over the limit with all those children.

"You trust them to make sure your children are safe. I don’t drive and I rely on that bus but I didn’t want my children to get back on it."

Alison Barnett, whose six-year-old son was on board, said: "We were walking off when we heard a bang. It was an abuse of trust."

Hayley Richards, whose four-year-old son was on board added: "I’m upset, angry and very unhappy."

Another mum said: "It’s disappointing, and scary that the crash could have happened earlier. How he got from the school to here without crashing the bus I don’t know.

"I think the council should be making more random checks on the drivers."

Hoskins was arrested and breath-tested at the scene last Tuesday. He recorded 106 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

He pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol at Cheltenham Magistrates Court and received a 14-week jail sentence suspended for a year, a 25-month driving ban and 200 hours of unpaid community work.

Magistrates were told Hoskins had attended the funeral of a business colleague the previous day, at which he had been drinking. 24 hours later he was still over the limit but business concerns over-rode his concern, he said.

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