Bus roof 'ripped off' after railway bridge strike

Dramatic photos show a double decker bus with its roof "ripped off" after it struck a railway bridge.

Greater Anglia was forced to cancel trains running through the village of Kirby Cross, near Frinton-on-Sea in Essex, after the bridge was hit.

Car passenger Tara Palmer, 50, took the photos of the "out of service" bus at about 16:20 GMT on Wednesday.

"The roof had been 90% ripped off and it was slanting off down the back of the bus - it hadn't come off," she said.

"I couldn't see any passengers on board - luckily, I think it was an out of service bus," Mrs Palmer said.

"Although it was a shocking thing, it was like wow. I've never seen anything like that before."

Mrs Palmer, who had recently moved to Frinton, was travelling back from hospital with her husband when they got held up in traffic.

She said she thought the tailback was about two miles long (3km) and was initially confused by the significant delays as it was too early for the rush hour.

The housewife said they spotted a police officer sweeping up the debris beneath the bridge, with the bus parked up on the Clacton-bound carriageway.

Apart from marks in the stonework where the vehicle had scraped through, there seemed to be little other damage to the bridge, according to Mrs Palmer.

Train operator Greater Anglia said services to Colchester and Walton-on-the-Naze had been affected, but the line was now open after Network Rail workers visited the site.

However, it warned trains to both places could be delayed or revised, but it was working to get all services back on track, in an update on its website.

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