Crash investigators will today continue probing the wreckage of three buses involved in a city centre smash.

No passengers were hurt although a 52-year-old woman cyclist suffered leg injuries in the accident in Queen Street, outside Marks and Spencer store, yesterday.

One of the drivers had a lucky escape when his cab was crumpled after he clipped one bus and crashed into another.

Eye-witnesses reported that an empty Stagecoach bus overtook a line of buses waiting to pick up passengers at 9.30am. They saw it clip the right-hand side of one bus, hit a pavement rubbish bin, strike a flower arrangement and crash into the back of a bus.

Investigators have examined the crash scene for clues and compiled detailed accounts from the three drivers and eye-witnesses.

Graduate Polly Walton, 23, of Brasenose College, said: "It was awful. There was glass and soil - you had to dodge to get out of the way. It was scary."

She added: "The cyclist was riding down outside M&S. The bike was a bit mangled." The windscreen of the first bus was smashed and the floor strewn with glass and pieces of twisted metal.

Fragments of glass were spread across Queen Street, which was sealed off by traffic police. Accident investigators checked the positioning of the vehicles to find out the cause.

The Stagecoach driver was taken to hospital with minor injuries. His company was unable to make a statement until he had been interviewed. Pc Steve Seaman said at the scene: "We are conducting further inquiries including an examination of the vehicles."

Stagecoach marketing manager David Whitley said: "It is a very unfortunate incident and we are investigating it."

Story date: Thursday 15 April

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