A SOLDIER’S driving test ended abruptly yesterday when his tank was involved in an accident with a bus.

The 25-tonne Warrior tank was involved in the accident with the bus as both vehicles pulled onto the A1(M).

Passengers on the Arriva X26 service, which runs between Darlington, Richmond and Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, were unhurt. The bus driver was shaken, but unhurt.

The incident happened on the northbound sliproad of the A1(M) Barton junction at about 10.45am.

John Fozzard, from Arriva North East, confirmed one of the company’s buses had been involved in the incident.

He said security camera footage of the incident will be examined and an investigation carried out.

The bus driver was given the rest of the day off. The bus suffered minor damage and was driven back to its depot.

It is thought the tank driver was unhurt. It is not known if the tank was damaged.

A police spokesman said: “It was a damage-only collision with no injuries reported. The soldier was apparently on his driving test.”

A spokesman for the Army at Catterick Garrison confirmed the incident was being investigated.

It is not known if the soldier passed his test.

■ In 2006, a video clip emerged of a civilian taking a Warrior armoured vehicle at Catterick Garrison and driving it over a car.

A 22-year-old man was charged with taking the tank without consent and was banned from driving for a year and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.