A COACHLOAD of elderly people enjoying a day trip had a lucky escape when their bus collided head-on with a white van.

All 23 pensioners along with both drivers were taken to Cheltenham General Hospital following the crash, near Kineton, where 11 were treated for minor injuries.

The members of Evesham's Coronation Street Disabled Club were on their way to Nigel Twiston-Davies' stables to watch his racehorses training when the collision occurred at 11am last Friday, September 10.

The van, driven by a 35-year-old man from Gloucester, took the brunt of the damage, with the engine forced back into his cab. The coach ended up halfway into a ditch and firefighters from Winchcombe and Stow had to help the pensioners out using a ramp.

Following the incident everybody involved was taken to hospital for check-ups and the road remained closed for three hours.

Chairman of the club Jean Dyke said the coach, which was operated by Worcestershire County Council, had almost reached its destination when the accident happened on a bend of the narrow unclassified road through the village. "If it had happened a few yards further on it could have been a disaster. We were so lucky that nobody was seriously injured."

She added that the pensioners, some of whom are in their 90s, had taken the situation in their stride. "I told them to make the most of the excitement because there was so much interest in us."

Julie England, landlady of the nearby Halfway House pub, said she did not know the circumstances of Friday's accident but added that there was a general problem of vehicles driving through the village too quickly. "They just will not slow down, sometimes I try waving at them but they just give the V-sign back. There is too much traffic coming through the village because I think people use it as a shortcut to the Stow/Tewkesbury road."

Anne Greenaway, who has lived in the village for more than 50 years, said the road was more dangerous now than it had ever been. "I have travelled these roads for a great many years and I think people today are not really aware of how dangerous it can be on these bends where there is no visibility."

Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed the collision to contact traffic officer PC Ian Leeder on 0845 0901234.