Children evacuated from bus fire at Bar Hill in Cambridgeshire

A bus carrying children to school has caught fire in Bar Hill this morning.

The bus, which was on its way to Swavesey Village College, was evacuated by the driver and there are no reported injuries.

However, fire crews have been tackling the huge blaze, which has completely destroyed the vehicle.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Crews have been tackling a large fire involving a bus this morning in Bar Hill. The bus was travelling to Swavesey Village College.

“Thanks to the fast actions of the driver, the bus was evacuated quickly and safely. The young people on board have been taken to school.”

Saxon Way in Bar Hill is closed following the incident.

The Rev Anthony Mitchell, a Bar Hill resident, said: “It is very concerning. Thank goodness no-one was hurt.

“I would commend the driver for evacuating the children so quickly.

“Obviously, the children will be delayed getting to school and parents will have to be contacted and a review will have to be carried out into health and safety. This is a county council-subsidised route.

“A lot of these buses are very old.”

Rev Mitchell said the road, not far from the Viking Road industrial estate, was blocked and police had put a cordon up.

The bus was a privately run school service. However, Stagecoach East has warned passengers of delays to its number 5 bus service this morning as a result of the incident.

Its statement on social media said: “Due to a vehicle fire on the Bar Hill loop we are unable to serve the stops on that loop until further notice. Anyone wanting stops on the loop will have to alight at Tesco’s. We apologise for any inconvenience.”

Claire Mills, Acting Headteacher at Swavesey Village College, said: “This morning, a bus carrying 20 of our students caught fire on its route to the College. Thankfully, the fire started off very small and the bus driver was able to immediately evacuate all students from the bus and get them to a safe distance as quickly as possible. None of our students were physically harmed by the incident.

“All students were then picked up by another bus and safely transported to school, where they were met on arrival by our Designated Safeguarding Lead and Headteacher, who spoke with them and provided support with any concerns or worries. We have also contacted the parents of all students involved to offer further support and guidance in the coming days.

“We are very grateful to all those who protected the safety of our students during this incident, including the bus driver, the bus company and the team at Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue. If our parents and students have any concerns or queries, they should not hesitate to contact their child’s house office.”