An elderly woman died after being dragged under the wheels of a bus in Durham centre today.

The 86-year-old shopper was carried for more than half-a-mile along the A690 in Durham before her body was thrown clear as the bus turned right at traffic lights.

Horrified lunch-time shoppers who witnessed the accident just outside the city bus station in North Road raised the alert.

Although a police patrol car was quickly on the scene the body was only thrown from under the bus as it turned right at a bend at traffic lights outside St Margaret's Health Centre, at the junction of Sutton Street and Crossgate Peth.

The driver of the single deck Arriva service vehicle was apparently oblivious to the accident and travelled around four miles to Ushaw Moor before he was informed by police who pursued the bus.

Police said the woman, who suffered multiple injuries, was declared dead at the scene and her body taken by ambulance to the city's University Hospital of North Durham.

She is understood to have come from the outskirts of Durham, although police will not released her identity until all next of kin are informed and her body is formally identified.

A police spokesman said: "The exact circumstances are yet to be established, but it appears the victim was in the act of crossing North Road when she made contact with the rear of the small single deck bus which was pulling out of the bus station."

Accident investigators plan to study cctv footage taken from cameras in North Road to try to discover the exact cause.

They would also like to speak to any witnesses to the accident, which took place shortly after 12.15pm.

Meanwhile police said the bus is undergoing forensic examination although officers have yet to formally interview the driver.

It is not clear how many passengers were on the bus, believed to have been bound for East Hedleyhope in the Deerness Valley.

Witnesses to the accident are asked to ring Durham Police's traffic unit, on 0191-386 4929.