Southern Vectis has said it will 'investigate' an incident which saw a 'tired' six-year-old girl denied entry to an Isle of Wight bus, allegedly because her bicycle had 'gears'.

Shana Freer, mother of Maggie Wesolowska, said she was left "shocked" when the driver of the number 38 bus told them they could not get on, on the afternoon of Monday, November 4. 

Typically, the pair, who live in Newport, usually drive to school in the morning but the car had broken down, so Maggie cycled and her mum walked beside her.

While Maggie was at school, Shana went off to do some shopping.

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They planned to get home the same way they arrived but the shopping was heavy and Maggie was tired, so they thought they'd catch the 3.52pm bus on Carisbrooke Road, to a stop near Argos.

Conscious of taking up too much room onboard, Shana let the busy-looking number 7 bus go past, instead opting to wait for the usually 'much quieter' number 38.

As the bus approached, Shana said she could see the driver 'shaking her head'.

"It stopped and the driver said 'the bike's not coming on'," Shana said.

"I said 'sorry?'. And she said 'the bike can't come on as it has gears'.

"I said 'it is only a little bike'. She said 'no, sorry, because it has gears it can't come on the bus'. And she just drove off."

Maggie on her bike at the bus stopMaggie on her bike at the bus stop (Image: IWCP) The bus stop on Carisbrooke RoadThe bus stop on Carisbrooke Road (Image: IWCP)

Maggie said she was "tired" and just wanted to go home.

Shana, meanwhile, said she was left speechless and couldn't understand what gears had to do with it. 

She said the bus was not busy and the bike was not big.

In a message to Southern Vectis on Facebook, she asked if children's bikes can usually come on.

The reply, seen by the County Press, said 'bicycles aren't usually allowed due to their size. However, a smaller child's bicycle 'would be fine'.

Ultimately, it would be down to the 'driver's discretion', the message said.

In a statement to the County Press, the bus company said it is "sorry" for the pair's experience.

Richard Tyldsley, Southern Vectis general manager, said: “Bicycles are not generally permitted on-board, as there is usually no safe space to store them.

"There are some exceptions - including folding bikes which are safely and securely stowed in the designated luggage area in a suitable bag or box.

“Our drivers do have some discretion when they feel a bicycle could be carried onboard, and we will be carrying out an investigation to review this particular situation.”