A MAN has died after being hit by a bus in a town centre terminal.

The man, who has not been named, suffered fatal injuries after he was struck at 7.45pm on Monday and died at the scene.

A dog he was walking with at the time of the accident is believed to have been uninjured in the incident, which involved the Arriva X66 bus at Middlesbrough bus station.

It is thought the man was struck by the vehicle, which travels along the A66 between Middlesbrough, Stockton and Darlington, shortly after it left the X66 stand.

Officers spent several hours at the bus station speaking to witnesses to the incident.

Arriva are helping police and Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (Vosa) with their inquiries, and CCTV footage is being reviewed to provide further information.

Iain McInroy, area managing director for Arriva North East, said: “I can confirm that one of our buses, operating on service X66, was involved in an incident last night at Middlesbrough bus station.

“The vehicle has been removed from service pending a detailed inspection by Vosa.”

He added: “Our thoughts and condolences are with the family of this young man.”

Police say a number of people were nearby when the collision occurred and appealed for witnesses to come forward.

A spokeswoman said the man’s identity will be released once his family has been notified of his death.

She said: “A post-mortem examination was scheduled to take place yesterday. Officers are still in the process of formally identifying the man and will not be in a position to release his details until today.”

Police asked anyone at the scene who has not yet spoken to officers to contact PC Ivan Hughes on 01642-326326, quoting U195098.