A TEENAGER with the mental age of a five-year-old was locked on a bus in a depot for 45minutes after the driver forgot she was on board.

The driver has been suspended and a council escort who should have been with her has resigned after the incident, which Ellie Wales, 16, thought had been caused because she had done something wrong.

It was only when her father, Frankie Wales, rang the bus company that the driver realised he had left her on the bus in the depot in Dormanstown, east Cleveland.

Ellie, who has autism and learning difficulties, boarded the Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council bus from Kilton Thorpe Special School and should have been dropped off at home in Redcar.

MrWales said: "Ellie told us that the bus did not go the normal way and did not drive past our house. When it got to the depot, the driver just got off without checking the bus and then locked it."

"I was distraught.

"Ellie thought she had been locked on the bus because she had done something wrong.

We are so protective of Ellie.

She is very vulnerable and you put your trust in other people when they are looking after her."

"I am not blaming the council. I just think it was terrible actions by the driver. If he cannot notice a girl on the bus, then he might not notice traffic lights or oncoming cars."

Council leader George Dunning has apologised to the family and said: "We immediately launched a thorough investigation into safeguarding issues surrounding our transport and additional measures have already been put in place."

The council did not say why its escort had not been with Ellie.