Students who were injured when their coach was involved in a crash have been released from hospital.

A party of theatre students from Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, in Darlington, were travelling to start a three-day residential course on Wednesday night when the accident occurred.

Their hired coach was in collision with a car outside the Ministeracres Passionist Monastery Retreat and Conference Centre, near Consett, County Durham.

Nine students were injured and taken to either Newcastle General Hospital or the University of North Durham. College principal David Heaton said today that eight had returned home, while another was still in Newcastle but did not have serious injuries.

"I'm assured that there are no major problems and we look forward to welcoming everyone back," he said.