LGBT activists are calling for the sacking of a Belfast bus driver who told his supervisor that he couldn’t get his bus through the city centre during the city’s annual Pride parade because there were “too many bum-busters” on the road.

The unnamed Translink driver made the remarks to a supervisor over an open radio network during Belfast’s 25^th annual Pride parade, reports Belfast Telegraph.

When other drivers challenged his comments – which were also heard by passengers – he repeated them and refused to apologise.

“We would like to apologise to our passengers and staff, following an incident on Saturday 1st August where a Metro driver used offensive language over Translink’s open radio network,” said a Translink spokesperson.

“We take incidents of this nature very seriously and we expect all our staff to deal with their passengers and colleagues in a friendly, helpful and professional manner at all times.”

Although the driver at the centre of the controversy has been “disciplined” he has not been suspended nor has he apologised. Activists are calling for harsher sanctions for the homophobic driver.