14 students hurt in minibus crash

Fourteen students and an adult have been taken to hospital, one by air ambulance, after a crash between a minibus and a hay lorry.

It happened at around 10.00 GMT outside a house at Penmorfa, Gwynedd.

Eight of the 16 to 19-year-olds from Yale College, Wrexham, were taken to a minor injuries unit at Minffordd.

Another six were taken to Ysbyty Gwynedd hospital in Bangor. All of those involved have now been discharged from hospital.

The students were returning from a week-long residential trip as part of their public services course.

One local person, who did not wish to be named, said the minibus was travelling south through the village.

He said it appeared it had clipped a lorry carrying bails of hay which was travelling in the opposite direction, before veering across the road into the side of a house, causing some damage.

A spokesman for the Wales Air Ambulance said they had been called to assist at 10.10 GMT on Friday.

"I'm not sure of how the accident happened but the minibus appeared to have left the road and ended up near a house," he said.

The air ambulance flew one female casualty to hospital at Bangor.

Jean Edwards who lives near the scene said local people had asked for road improvements in the area for many years.

"We have begged them to include the villages of Penmorfa and Tremadog in the plan for a Porthmadog by-pass, because it gets really narrow as people who live here have to park in the road," she added.