Wheel comes off bus after school route

The drama left the vehicle partially blocking the busy road.

The number 661 Stagecoach bus had been in service in Horsham and, while not exclusively a school bus, it is used daily by pupils, many on their way to Forest School.

Managing director for Stagecoach South, Andrew Dyer, said: "It's too early to speculate over what caused the wheel to come off '“ whether it had been tampered with or whether it was a mechanical accident."

He added: "This is an exceptionally rare and unusual event."

Mr Dyer said Stagecoach vehicles underwent 'stringent maintenance regimes' and the vehicle involved had a routine safety check about two weeks prior to the incident, with no problems found.

The bus was not in service when the wheel came off and was returning to the Worthing bus depot from Horsham.

Apart from the driver, nobody else was on the bus, and nobody is believed to have been hurt in the incident.