A four-year-old child was found on a street two miles away from his house after being left on a school minibus by himself.

John Robertson was discovered by two women on Stadium Road near the Caledonian Stadium in Inverness.

The pupil at Munlochy Primary School on the Black Isle was due to be dropped off at his house in North Kessock but the driver missed his stop and drove over the Kessock Bridge.

John was then taken to a D&E Coaches depot with the driver not realising the youngster was still on the bus.

ADVERT

The primary one pupil thought the driver was going to come back but after crying for help, John got off the bus by himself and walked down Stadium Road.

Speaking to STV News, his father, John Robertson Snr, said: “We thought the bus was late because of the weather. My wife phoned the school and there was no answer so we called the bus company.

“They said John had been dropped off at the house but this wasn’t the case because I was looking out the window waiting for him. They then claimed he never got on the bus.”

He added: “Nobody had heard or seen him so we phoned 999. The police said two members of the public had found him and were on their way to the station with him.

ADVERT

“It turned out he was put on the right bus but the driver didn’t drop him off. He was left at the depot but I do not know how the driver never noticed him.”

Family: John Jnr, in red, with his parents and brother.

It was his son’s first week taking the bus. D&E Coaches has since sacked the driver following the incident.

Mr Robertson said both himself and his wife Nikki were “absolutely petrified” during the ordeal.

“He would have been on the bus for about an hour,” he said.

“It is just as well it was a minibus because it’s just a door at the front which can be opened.

“We were absolutely petrified when he was on the street. Anyone could have picked him up.”

He added: “A lot of lorries use it to get on to the A9 plus the Moray Firth is there.

ADVERT

“We are furious at what has happened. Since the incident, he has been waking up in the middle of the night crying not wanting to be alone. It is horrible.”

A D&E Coaches spokesman said: “We are extremely disappointed at the circumstances in which a child was left on one of our minibuses going from Munlochy Primary School to North Kessock last Friday when it was parked in a yard in Inverness.

“A full internal investigation has been conducted and the driver concerned has been dismissed for gross misconduct.

“Relying on an assurance from another pupil that this child was not on the bus is unacceptable. All drivers are expected to check their buses at the end of the journey but this clearly did not occur in this instance.”

He added: “As a result of the incident we are introducing a new course on Driver Awareness in School Contracts as part of the accreditation process for a driver licence.

“We are also introducing refresher courses for long-term employees.”

The company has vowed to do all it can to ensure a similar incident does not happen again.

“We wish to express our sincere apologies to the family of the child for the distress caused and we are extremely relieved that the child was safe and sound,” the spokesman said.

“This is the first time anything of this nature has occurred to mar our excellent record and the new measures will enhance driver vigilance to try to ensure there is never a repeat.”

A joint police and council investigation has been launched following the incident on Friday, which the local authority has described as “deeply concerning”.

A Highland Council spokeswoman said: “We are extremely concerned about this incident and we are carrying out a full investigation into the circumstances with our contracted school transport provider.

“The incident is also the subject of an ongoing police investigation.”

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Police Scotland can confirm a four-year-old child was taken to Burnett Road Police Station by a member of the public on the afternoon of Friday, December 8.

“The child had been found unaccompanied in the Stadium Road area of Inverness.

“Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.”