Passengers evacuated after bus blaze

7:18pm Tuesday 13th May 2008

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TWO dozen passengers were evacuated from a service bus tonight after smoke poured through the floor into the rear seats.

Police closed a country road near Cockfield, County Durham, while firefighters drenched the Arriva single decker 8B travelling from Darlington to Bishop Auckland.

Student Ann Tallentire, 17, alerted the driver when she became worried that smoke she had noticed earlier in the journey had become thicker.

The bus stopped near Keverstone Grange and passengers were asked to leave.

Miss Tallentire, who was on her way home from Darlington Sixth form College, said: "It was quite scary but fortunately nobody was hurt.

"The driver was pretty calm, but police had to close the road because they were frightened the bus would catch fire and there might be an explosion.

"I had seen the smoke coming through the floor when we were at Summerhouses but by the time we got to Cockfield the whole of the back was filled with smoke and their was a horrible stench.

"We told the driver and everybody had to get off."

Some passengers arranged lifts home before a replacement bus arrived.

No-one from Arriva was available tonight.