ELEVEN children escaped unhurt when their school bus swerved off a narrow road after avoiding an oncoming car on a tight bend.
The bus was taking the pupils aged between nine and 13 home from Haltwhistle Community Middle School through the north Tyne villages to Newbrough.
The council-commissioned bus, belonging to Howard Snaith Coaches, was on the daily after-school ‘home’ run on Friday evening.
After leaving the main A69 to join a minor road near Stanegate, the car came round a tight bend and the bus driver took avoiding action.
The bus stayed upright and the pupils, shaken but unhurt, were taken off the vehicle to complete their journey on a replacement bus.
Haltwhistle Middle School headteacher Michael Routledge said yesterday: “We received a phone call from a parent and immediately sent a member of staff to the scene to check that everything was OK.
“No one appears to have been injured, and by the time he got there it had been dealt with. Most of the children have mobile phones and had been able to contact people.
“The bus company had another bus on the way and was able to take them home.”
