A177 bus crash: Seven injured between Sedgefield and Coxhoe

BBC Fire crews at the sceneBBC
An investigation has begun into how the crash - on the A177 between Sedgefield and Coxhoe - happened

Seven people are in hospital after a crash involving a bus and two cars in County Durham.

It happened on the A177 between Sedgefield and Coxhoe at about 07:45 GMT.

Arriva North East confirmed one of its buses, which had been travelling to Stockton, had been involved.

Seven patients have been taken to Middlesbrough's James Cook Hospital, University Hospital of North Durham and North Tees Hospital in Stockton.

The road has since reopened, Durham Police said.

The North East Ambulance Service and County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service attended.

The fire service said crews from Bishop Auckland, Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor - along with the Special Rescue Unit - "extracted multiple casualties from their vehicles".

It said they left the scene shortly before 09:40 GMT.

The vehicles were removed from the road on Friday afternoon.

A spokesperson for Arriva North East said it was continuing to work with the emergency services.

"Our thoughts are with all those affected at this time," they added.

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