Traffic was delayed for almost two hours on and off Mersea Island after a school bus went into a ditch as it approached the Strood.

Only a few people suffered minor injuries in the crash, which happened at about 4.30pm yesterday (Monday), as the pupils were making their way home on the double decker bus.

Ambulance crews, fire crews and police were on the scene within moments and seven passengers were taken to Colchester General Hospital for check-ups while 14 were thought to have minor cuts and bruises.

See 'Emergency services praised.....' in the drop-down list at the bottom of this article for more on this story Colchester fire station officer Bernie Musto said the driver of the bus was very shocked by the incident but not hurt.

He said the First Eastern National bus veered off the road as it passed Bonner's Barn on its way on to the Strood, where it was in collision with an electricity pole and ended up in the nearby ditch. The road was partially blocked while the electricity was made safe.

And today (Tuesday) Colchester St Benedict's College headteacher Alan Whelan praised emergency crews who attended a bus crash involving pupils from his school and Colchester County High School for Girls in Little Oakley yesterday.

Mr Whelan said: "It was a big gesture by the Harwich community."

Eighteen students - 13 girls and five boys - were treated at Harwich Hospital, while one 13-year-old was taken to Colchester General Hospital for an operation on his fractured elbow.

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