Pupils evacuated after school bus fire

PUPILS were evacuated after a school bus caught fire on its way to Shiplake yesterday afternoon (Monday).

The Joint Bus Service vehicle was carrying pupils from St Helen and St Katharine’s School in Abingdon when it caught alight on the A4130 at the Crowmarsh Gifford roundabout.

Emergency services were called to the scene to tackle the blaze and arrangements were made to ensure pupils got home safely.

A statement from the school said parents had been notified.

“We are grateful for the prompt response from the emergency services," it said. “We appreciate that this has caused some traffic delays and we thank everyone for their patience and understanding.”

Joint Bus Service is a collaboration between Abingdon School, St Helen and St Katharine and Manor Preparatory School, all based in close proximity. 

The service currently brings more than 1,100 children to school daily from an area covering more than 26 miles.