Grandfather steers bus to safety

The Redheugh bridge, near the accident scene

A grandfather has been praised after taking control of a bus and steering it safety when the driver blacked out.

James Burton, 62, sprang into action after noticing the driver slump forward at the wheel.

Mr Burton was on the bus with his daughter and two grandchildren when it veered off course near Newcastle's Redheugh Bridge, which crosses the River Tyne.

The driver and an elderly female passenger were taken to hospital after the incident.

'Serious consequences'

The bus clipped the wall of the bridge and came to a stop on a verge overlooking a bank leading down towards the busy A184 in Gateshead.

A spokeswoman for Northumbria Police said: "Had Mr Burton not acted so swiftly this could have had serious consequences.

"He helped avert what could have been a serious accident."

It is not yet clear what caused the driver to black out.

The two casualties were taken to Gateshead's Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where the woman was treated for shock.