A BUS driver described his horror at watching CCTV footage of the moment he had unknowingly dragged a pensioner under his bus, only to discover the victim had been the mother of an Arriva boss and friend.

Robert Harvey, spoke after being convicted for careless driving after the death of Jenny Spedding, 86, who died when she was dragged under the Arriva bus for half-a-mile through Durham City in February last year.

Harvey was fined £750 and banned by Consett magistrates from driving for a year after pleading guilty.

He said: "I found out two weeks later it was the mom of Mavis Leftley who was my boss and my friend.

"It felt like two people being killed. It is something that I will never be able to forget."

Prosecutor Sharon Nevison said Harvey was pulling out of the bus station on his way to East Hedleyhope when when the accident happened.

CCTV footage showed Mrs Spedding, of Local Avenue, Sherburn Hill, walk in front of the bus and 'literally disappear' leaving only her two bags, when the bus passed her.

Eye witness Gordon Gondona tried unsuccessfully to alert the driver by sounding his horn, but the bus travelled half-a-mile before Mrs Spedding's body was released.

Harvey, 62, of Langley Park, told police his attention had been drawn to a mother with a child in a pushchair crossing the road and that he had been oblivious to the fact he had knocked down Mrs Spedding.

David Lamb, defending, said it was a 'momentary inattention' which led to tragedy.

He said Harvey felt great remorse and continued to be affected by incident.

Mrs Leftley said: "We are thankful that the trial is over, though I think this sentence has made my mum's life so cheap.

"I find it very difficult to come to terms with the fact that she was killed by a bus driver who was not paying attention."