A Glasgow pensioner claims he was forced to hitchhike to the airport after missing his bus stop.

Bernard Wynne boarded the last Stagecoach service to Prestwick Airport from Buchanan Bus Station to catch a flight to Spain last month.

The 76-year-old, who needs walking aids, asked the driver to take him to the travel hub but claims the dark night outside and his mobility issues left him struggling to press the button in time for his stop.

The driver then told him it was too late and dropped him off at the next stop. Bernard claims he refused to take him back.

Bernard, who lives in the city centre, claims everything nearby was closed and he doesn’t know how to work a mobile phone, so he waved down cars until one stopped and took him back to the airport.

Glasgow Times: Bernard needs a walking aidBernard needs a walking aid (Image: Colin Mearns)

He explained: “I was stranded because I couldn’t walk due to my mobility issues, I don’t know how to phone a taxi either, so I was left on the curb with just my bag.

“I felt laughed at when I asked for help to get back to the airport or just not to be abandoned late at night.

“No one was around, it was after midnight, but a few cars went by and I tried to flag them down before thankfully one stopped.

“I didn’t know what else to do. I just felt absolute panic and fear when I realised I was getting left behind.

“I couldn’t push the bell in time because it was dark and I couldn’t see out the window and struggled to hit it in time.

“I was sitting in the disabled bit as well and had told the driver where I was going, maybe he was distracted or forgot.”

Bernard paid the driver who stopped £20 which he now wants Stagecoach to reimburse him for, along with an apology.

However, Stagecoach said they followed protocol and he should have pressed the bell in time.

A spokesperson for Stagecoach West Scotland said: "We can confirm that a customer contacted our customer service centre on  September  23 regarding their on-bus experience while travelling on the Service X77 from Glasgow to Prestwick Airport.

“We have investigated the complaint and confirm that the customer has admitted to not alerting the driver or ringing the onboard bell with their intention to disembark until the bus was past the airport.

“A review of CCTV footage has further confirmed this and due to the dual carriageway the driver was unable to stop safely to allow the customer to alight.

“As soon as the driver was made aware of the customers intention to disembark, they were safely dropped at the next available bus stop at the top of Monkton Road opposite the airport.

“As per Section 4 of our Conditions of Carriage, customers should ring the bell in good time to alert the driver of their intention to alight the bus."