POLICE have named a man who died after his car collided with a bus.

Mark Nightingale, aged 38, from Albert Street, Shildon, County Durham, was involved in the smash on Friday night at 10.25pm.

He was driving a black Audi A4 estate along the A6072 at Heighington, near Newton Aycliffe, when he was involved in a collision with an Arriva bus.

The bus driver and three passengers were also injured and were taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital. One passenger received serious head injuries, a second sustained minor cuts and bruises and the third has shoulder injuries. The driver suffered chest pains. None of the injuries are considered to be life threatening.

but A Durham Police spokesman said: "A vehicle has gone under a bus and the driver of the vehicle has been pronounced dead at the scene.

"Some people on the bus have been seriously injured, but their injuries are not believed to be life threatening at this point."

The road was closed while police accident investigators assessed the scene.

It followed an earlier accident on the same stretch of road, where a lorry tipped over shedding its load, leading to diversions and severe disruption.

Inspector Kevin Blakey of Durham Police said: The circumstances of the accident are still being explored.

As a result of the accident the road was closed for some time.

An appeal for witnesses is requested.

Call Durham Police with information on 0845-60-60-365.