Obese bus drivers told to slim to under 23 stone over fears they will break seats

Obese bus drivers have been told they must slim down to under 23 stone because it is feared they may break their seats and cause an accident.

Managers at Stagecoach in Hull, East Yorkshire, have sent letters to all their staff warning them of the weight restriction, which was introduced after new seats were fitted in their vehicles.

The company claims there is a health and safety risk because the seats cannot sustain weight of more than 20 stone on one model of bus, and 23 stone on another.

Overweight drivers have been told they will be redeployed to work for Stagecoach in others areas until they can trim down to size.

The letter asks drivers who think they exceed the weight limit to seek out their appropriate line manager, who will refer them to the company's occupational assessment adviser.

The adviser for the company, which employs 350 people in Hull including 300 drivers, will then discuss a weight loss programme with them.

Stagecoach spokesman Tony Fieldsend said: "The background to this is that the seats we have fitted on our buses have a weight specification of 23 stone for some and less for others.

"Because of health and safety and because we recognise we have a duty of care to people, a letter has gone to everyone explaining what we are doing.

"We have done it in conjunction with the union Unite and it is in agreement.

"Heaven forbid if a driver in charge of 70 people had an accident."

However, some drivers have claimed the policy, introduced this week, is discriminatory.

One Stagecoach employee, who did not want to be named and refused to give his weight, said: "I think it is disgusting. It is certainly discrimination. This will affect quite a lot of drivers.

"Some may be just a stone over the limit but others are five or six stone over the limit.

"If you are overweight you will be given a time period to lose it and will have to work elsewhere until you have."