AN investigation is under way after a bus collided with a barrier at a bus station.

College students were taken to hospital - thought to be suffering shock, bruises and possible whiplash - after they were thrown about by the impact.

Passengers on the 723 Darlington to Newcastle service, operated by Arriva North-East, had to change to another vehicle because of damage to the doubledecker.

The accident happened on Monday morning at Durham City bus station as the bus was about to pull away from the passenger bay. Instead of reversing out, the bus accidently went forward and hit the metal barrier.

A handful of passengers, thought mostly to be students at New College Durham, were standing and were thrown by the impact.

They travelled on the replacement bus to the college campus at Framwellgate Moor, where they complained to teachers of aches and pains.

The college arranged taxis to take them to the city's University Hospital for check-ups.

Childcare and education diploma student Melanie Bell, 17, of Cassop, said she was left with back pain and possible whiplash after the force of the impact threw her against a metal post on the bus.

She added that she did not hear the driver asking if passengers were hurt. Her step-mother Maureen, who complained to the police and the firm, said: "Arriva don't seem to have handled it very well considering there were a few people hurt."

Arriva North-East operations director Iain McInroy said: "Both our driver and an Arriva official who attended the scene asked passengers whether medical attention was required and, at that time, no passengers reported injuries.

"We continue to investigate. However, initial indications suggest the incident was caused by driver error"

A spokesman for Durham Police said: "We have received a complaint and we are looking into it."

College spokesman Paul Ryder said: "I think there were four students who arrived at college clearly shaken.

"As a precaution, we sent them down to the hospital for check-ups, accompanied by a member of staff, and we contacted their parents.

"Thankfully, they were all given a clean bill of health."