A disabled passenger has said she had to wait more than half an hour in the rain because there was no room on five consecutive buses for her wheelchair.

Burma Farrow said she often has to wait for the next bus because the disabled spaces are taken up with mothers with pushchairs.

The fibromyalgia sufferer says on other occasions she has had to endure abuse from mothers who aren’t allowed on the bus because she’s on it.

The 48-year-old from Lavender Street, Brighton, said she would often travel miles out of her way to the start of bus routes to guarantee herself a spot on the bus.

She said: “If a wheelchair user is on the bus, drivers are not allowed to take a pram and if there’s three prams on board then they can’t take on a wheelchair. Some will let you on but they’re not supposed to and they tell me they could lose their licence.

“If there’s a mother with a pram told they can’t get on, they take it out on me so I have to keep my head down and I feel intimidated. Now when I want to get on the bus, I have to ask the bus driver is there any room for me and he has to call out ‘any prams?’.”

Roger French, managing director of Brighton and Hove Bus and Coach Company, said there had been no recent changes to the capacity on buses for wheelchairs or buggies.

He said: “We have to find a balance.

“We are one of a few companies who can actually accommodate three buggies. Most can only accommodate two.”