MANCHESTER Road was partially closed earlier after a crash involving a Thamesdown bus. 

Police were called to the scene of the crash, which happened at the junction of Manchester Road and Alfred Street at around 9.25am this morning. A Ford saloon was involved in the crash with a Thamesdown 17 service.

A 68-year-old man is understood to have been injured in the accident. Paramedics arrived after 10.30am.

A schoolboy, 14, who was on the bus at the time of the crash, said: "We were just on the bus as normal, coming down. There were only five of us on the bus - including a child in a pram with her mum."

He said that an older man had fallen in the crash, hurting his back. "I had to call an ambulance," the lad added.

The road was passable to traffic, although Thamesdown and Stagecoach said that bus services hadbeen diverted via Fleming Way. 

Alex Chutter, general manager of Thamesdown, Swindon's Bus Company, said: "One of our buses was involved in a collision earlier today. My understanding is that a vehicle pulled out at a junction and hit the front of the bus.

"A passenger on the bus was injured during the jolt, and was taken by ambulance to hospital for treatment. We wish them a full and speedy recovery. 

"The bus was taken away by our engineering team for repairs, and we are carrying out an investigation into the cause of the incident."