POLICE and fire crews have responded to a coach fire on the Whiteways roundabout, just outside Arundel.
The fire happened around 8.45am this morning (January 25).
The coach, on a day visit to Beaulieu Motor Museum, had been carrying around 60 children and teachers from Storrington First School when a fire broke out in the engine as it was travelling along London Road.
Three children have been taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation, and no other injuries have been reported.
The families of the children taken to hospital have been informed.
All the other passengers left the coach and were taken to another coach which had been called to meet them.
Sergeant Alan Spicer of Sussex Police’s Roads Policing Unit said: “I would like to praise the teachers and children from Storrington First School for the way they conducted themselves during this incident. They remained calm throughout and listened to the direction of the emergency services.”
Headteacher, Garry Smart, said: “I am very grateful for the superb response to the situation by the emergency services and staff.
“The children have been safely returned back to school and have been collected by their families.”
There was some traffic disruption in the area while the coach was cleared from the site.
Fire crews, who attended from Littlehampton and Petworth, said the cause of the fire was accidental.
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