A DRUNKEN man, who terrorised passengers on a bus, fell on to a busy road after opening an emergency door.

The driver of the Arriva bus, Peter Wine, was so terrified by the actions of the man and two accomplices he called the police twice on his mobile phone. He was able eventually to get the men off the bus after one of them fell on to the road through an emergency door, which had been forced open.

Mr Wine said: "It was terrifying for the passengers and some even got off the bus early because they were so scared.

"I didn't want to tackle the men because they were armed with bottles."

The ordeal began on Thursday when Mr Wine took his bus on the 5.30pm Richmond to Darlington run.

The men, thought to be in their 20s, started creating a nuisance when they got on to the bus just before the A1.

As the bus went along the motorway, the men began opening the emergency exits and shouting and swearing at passengers.

Mr Wine said: "I rang the police and thought they would come and intercept the bus and help me eject them."

As the bus pulled into Barton, near Darlington, one of them fell out of the bus.

Former prison officer Mr Wine said: "He got up again and started shouting so I thought the best thing to do was to keep on driving.

"I saw the other two coming down the bus with bottles in their hands and I expected the worst, but they just said they wanted to get off the bus."

Mr Wine, who lives in Catterick Garrison, said he was disappointed with the police response to his three calls.

A North Yorkshire police spokeswoman said a police officer was sent to Barton, but was unable to find the men.