an hour after their bus broke down.

The wet schoolkids hung around after the Berkeley Institute-bound bus failed near the Perfumery in Hamilton Parish.

They were ordered off the bus after the driver had to leave -- but some got back on board as the minutes ticked by and no alternative turned up.

The youngsters -- who left St. George's around 8 a.m. -- did not get to their destination until after 10 a.m.

A Police spokesman said officers were called in after passers-by noticed pupils on the abandoned bus and milling round outside.

Officers kept order -- but replacement transport did not turn up until after 9 a.m. to continue the journey.

Berkeley Institute principal Michelle Gabisi said: "I think the driver stayed on the bus and the kids were fine.

"But she had to go off and continue her schedule. She had radioed for a replacement and the kids were asked to get off the bus.'' A Police spokesman stressed the Police attended as a precaution on road safety grounds because of the number of children on the roadside and added there was no trouble.

But Ms Gabisi said: "Teenagers alone on a bus are going to start tinkering.

If anyone did anything inappropriate, I will deal with it. You don't let teenagers sit on a bus by themselves.'' She stressed she appreciated the driver had a schedule to fulfill and declined to get in a row with the Passenger Transport Board.

Ms Gabisi said: "I don't want to put anyone in an awkward situation, especially drivers, because people have to follow their schedules.'' But she agreed a replacement bus could have been sent much sooner.

Ms Gabisi said: "It was a cold, miserable, wet morning -- they were waiting patiently for a replacement.

"Obviously, that would have been the ideal solution, but I'm not throwing any bricks.'' Acting PTB Director Dan Simmons said he had not been made aware of the transport delay.

He said: "It hasn't even reached me as an incident report -- but we would have changed the bus and provided service on the next available bus.'' And he added: "If it was morning, there would be buses coming through there all the time.

"They probably couldn't all get on the one bus, but they didn't all have to wait.

"It wasn't necessary to wait an hour or more because of us. There would have been follow-up buses coming through, especially on that route -- at that time of day, at ten minute intervals or less.''