TWO children have been banned from their school bus until Christmas after a fight broke out on the way home.

Police had to be called by the driver of the Arriva bus when a fight broke out on the top deck as up to 60 youngsters were being driven back to Darlington from Hurworth Comprehensive School.

The bus pulled up near the Blackwell Grange Hotel, in Grange Road, when the driver became fearful for the safety of other children on the service.

A replacement bus had to be used to continue the journey because a bus window was broken in the altercation.

Mike Barber, marketing manager for Arriva, said the company had written to both the youngsters' parents in an effort to get reimbursement for the £200 cost of repairing the damage.

He said: "The driver was concerned for the safety of other children on the bus. Safety of passengers is paramount to us."

A spokesman for Darlington Borough Council, the local education authority, said the school had acted swiftly with its punishment.

"The school dealt quickly with the problem and the children have been banned from using the bus until Christmas," he said.