23 injured, some of them seriously, after bus crashes into steam engine in Essex

The bus driver had to be freed from the wreckage of the bus by firefighters

The driver was airlifted to hospital in London following the crash (Essex County Fire & Rescue Service/PA)

23 people have been hurt, seven of them seriously, when a bus crashed into a lorry carrying an old-fashioned steam engine in Essex.

The incident happened on East Road in East Mersea, Essex, on the morning of Wednesday 23 September.

The 44-year-old bus driver had to be freed from the wreckage by firefighters, and was later airlifted to Royal London Hospital with serious injuries.

Pictures from the scene show the steam engine lying on its side on the road, beside the lorry. The front right corner of the bus, where the driver sits, appears to have collided with the steam engine, mangling the front of the bus.

There were 35 people on the bus when it crashed, including the driver. 16 people had minor injuries, and the other six with serious injuries were taken to the Colchester General and Broomfield hospitals.

A 51-year-old man was held by Essex Police on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.