Striking drivers have been accused of preventing buses leaving local garages today (22 March) as strikes entered a third day.

National Express West Midlands - which runs the 11 and 24 buses through Kenilworth - said police had to be called to its depots in Coventry and Birmingham this morning to manage the situation.

Staff have walked out following a pay row between the operator and the union Unite, with 93 per cent of balloted workers voting to strike.

With 3,000 drivers striking, the union said the action will continue indefinitely, but said workers are willing to compromise.

A National Express Coventry spokesperson said: "We are grateful to the police for their support this morning.

"We fully respect the rights of bus drivers to withdraw their labour and picket their workplace, but they should not be blocking buses from departing garages.

"The people of the West Midlands are being disrupted enough by these strikes, but to prevent even a skeleton service is completely unacceptable.

"We are in dialogue with the union about our offer of a 14.3 per cent pay increase to our drivers, which, at £16.46 an hour, would take the typical driver to £34,000 a year in Coventry, and our door remains open for talks."

On the first day of the strikes the company kept 90 buses running across the region.

Customers are encouraged to check the website to confirm which services are running.

The spokesperson added: "We want to reassure our customers we are doing all we can to resolve this issue."

Meanwhile Unite has accused National Express of "union busting bullying".

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Our members are rock solid in their determination to win a pay rise that reflects the difficulty of their roles and soaring living costs. They know that National Express can absolutely afford to pay it. 

"The company's bully boy tactics to break the strike will only result in worsening the dispute and Unite will make sure National Express is held fully accountable for any intimidation of our members.

"There is only one way to end this: National Express must put forward an offer that is acceptable to our members." 

The workers voted by 71 per cent against a deal put forward by the company in a ballot held over Friday and Saturday.