BUS drivers have lodged compensation claims with a council after complaining that travelling over speed bumps has injured their backs.

And a bus company boss said he would like to remove all the area's speed bumps because of the problems they cause.

James Hilton, operations director of Blackburn Borough Transport revealed that a number of his drivers had lodged compensation claims with Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, which also owns the bus company.

Mr Hilton said: "There is no doubt at all that they prevent us from being as reliable.

"There is also a serious impact on insurance because passengers have to go over the humps. We have to live with them and adjust the running times to take into account the number of speed humps on the roads.

"In Blackburn they are placed in the centre of the roads so we can go past them, but they allow cars to park at the side of them, so we have to go over it."

Speaking at a public inquiry at Burnley Magistrates Court into the bus company's reliability, Mr Hilton said he had made a number of complaints over the years. He added: " We have to accept the speed bumps are built to comply with building regulations and there is nothing we can do about it.

"I would like to take them all away but I can't."

Edmund King, executive director of campaigners the RAC Foundation, said: "We have had complaints like this before.

"There is a role for speed bumps but local authorities tend to get carried away and put them on all roads and it is not planned out.

"Some roads are not suitable, particularly those on a bus route."

Graham Burgess, executive director for regeneration at Blackburn with Darwen Council, added: "The speed humps in the borough comply with national guidelines. They are there to reduce speed and prevent accidents so bus companies need to take them into account when planning timetables."