Sydney bus driver takes abusers for a ride

A Sydney bus driver copped abuse and racial taunts from unruly schoolchildren for two days before becoming fed up and dumping them at a bus depot.

The group of 40 students from Mater Maria Catholic College at Warriewood, in Sydney's north, were taken on a 30-minute ride before being dumped at Brookvale bus depot on Thursday afternoon.

The students are alleged to have abused and threatened the driver as he drove the 748 bus from Warriewood to Brookvale.

Police are investigating the incident and were to speak with the driver's employer, the State Transit Authority, and Mater Maria Catholic College principal Tony Bracken. New South Wales Transport Minister John Watkins said the driver had been stood down with full pay while the matter was being investigated.

The Rail, Tram and Bus union has defended the driver, saying it was the second day in a row he had been abused by the students. Union president Peter Jenkins labelled claims the children had been "kidnapped" as ridiculous.

School principal Bracken said the incident was concerning, but he was confident it would be resolved. "Clearly there has been some behaviour which has been inappropriate and clearly we need to do something about that."

- AAP