A MUM'S funeral was ruined by a bus driver who refused to reverse and allow the funeral procession to pass - despite a plea for compassion from a vicar.

Jacqueline Morgan, 50, and her sister, Susan Berrol, 46, say the events on September 19 - at the funeral of their mother, Florence Joyce Jones - will haunt them forever.

The grieving sisters were in the three-car funeral cortege following the hearse carrying their mother's body to Gwent crematorium, in Cwmbran, when their route was blocked by a Stagecoach bus on the narrow Victoria Road in Six Bells.

Funeral director Kevin Brown says he asked the driver to reverse, but the driver refused, insisting it was his right of way despite co-operation from cars behind him.

And despite protests from the family and passers-by, the family say the driver continued to stand his ground - even refusing to move after the vicar, Father Peter King, pleaded with him.

Father King, vicar at St Peter's Church, in Abertillery, where the family had just been for the funeral service, told the Argus: "I was very saddened by the lack of understanding shown to the family's needs.

"It showed a great lack of respect."

Eventually police were called, and the family say the bus driver was forced to allow them to pass. The family were delayed for up to 20 minutes and were late for the cremation.

Mrs Jones, 74, died suddenly on September 10 of a heart attack. Mrs Morgan, of Roseberry Street, Abertillery, said: "The whole family were devastated by the incident.

"What if it was his mother? What if he was in the car? How would he feel?

"It was supposed to be a day when we remembered our mother, but it will probably haunt us for the rest of our lives now.

"A simple sorry is not good enough."

Mrs Morgan's two children, Nicola, 15, and Angharad, 14, were in the first car of the three-car cortege with their mother and were said to be "very upset" by the incident.

Husband David Morgan, 61, added: "I thought the whole thing was disgusting.

"We were unable to say hello to our friends at the crematorium because we were running late."

Funeral director Mr Brown, of Brown's Funeral Services, said: "It really shows a lack of respect.

"The family were understandably very annoyed. People must show common courtesy for funeral cars."

John Gould, managing director of Stagecoach in South Wales, said: "We very much regret what happened and we have expressed our sincere apologies to the family.

"The driver has been left in no doubt as to the way the company feels about his behaviour."