ANGRY commuters have blasted a bus driver who picked up a stray dog in Blackburn - then and kicked it off in Preston!

Bus passengers watched in horror as the driver of the Stagecoach service took the dog off the bus in New Hall Lane, Preston, nearly 10 miles from where he had picked it up.

The brown mongrel had been picked up by the 5.45pm Stagecoach service from Burnley and Preston, via Blackburn.

According to commuters on the packed service, the dog looked to be with someone, until that person got off in Preston.

Commuter Andrea Hindle who travels between Blackburn and Preston daily, said: "The dog was asleep on one of the seats next to a man, who we assumed was its owner.

"When he got off, the dog stayed on. It started whining.

"At the next stop, in New Hall Lane, the dog was thrown off. We couldn't believe it. It was just so cruel.

"We weren't that far away from the bus station in Preston.

"It wouldn't have been too much extra trouble for the driver to take the dog to the station and inform the police."

Andrea now fears the dog may have been killed, leaving a family in Blackburn without a pet.

She added: "It was the worst act of cruelty I have seen for a long time but the driver didn't even respond to us.

"There is a family somewhere who have lost their pet. It is probably dead now because Preston town centre is so congested with traffic."

A spokesman for Stagecoach Ribble, based in Preston, said: "This isn't an incident we have heard about, but it is possible that the actual bus used for that service was from our sister company, Stagecoach Burnley, with whom we share the route.

"We will be looking into the matter now that is has been drawn to our attention."

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