A WOMAN says she and other passengers on a National Express coach were forced to endure a stench from toilets during a nightmare journey.

Carol Rose of Jewell Road Bournemouth says that during the two and-a-half-hour ordeal passengers stuffed T-shirts into their faces in an effort to escape the smell and even started a petition in protest.

The coach was baking hot and passengers were unable to open windows because they were sealed, she added.

Mrs Rose had travelled to London to see a friend but it was on the return journey there was a problem she claimed. She said: "People had T-shirts wrapped round their faces because of the smell. We could hardly breathe. I still feel nauseous.

"The moment I got on I noticed the smell and it just got worse. I just thought someone had not flushed it. But one of the passengers had a look and it didn't need flushing.

"When we got to Ringwood I showed the driver this petition that had gone around. He showed me a piece of paper where three drivers had reported this three times and nothing had been done.

"This chap in front of me said this happened when he was coming back on a different journey and he had got a petition going round and everyone had signed it.

"I wonder how long this has been going on and what diseases we were subjected to. I have a bladder problem and I was unable to use the toilet."

Gerry Price, head of engineering, National Express, said, "The coach was taken out of service for a thorough clean. An investigation into the cause will be carried out. I would like to apologise to the customers and ensure daily Echo readers we are committed to providing a comfortable travelling environment, and this situation was not acceptable."