A BUS and lorry driver were locked in a battle of wills during a tense standoff in an Asda car park.

The Arriva bus driver and the Asda delivery man both refused to back down, after the Asda lorry had entered a lane marked “Buses Only” at the supermarket in Frobisher Way, Shoebury.

Their vehicles were parked nose to nose as shocked shoppers looked on during the incident yesterday afternoon.

Asda security staff were then called to settle the dispute, which eventually saw the bus reverse.

Aaron Kelly, security officer at the store, said: “It was an Asda-authorised delivery lorry.

“Because the land outside the store is owned by Asda they can authorise people to use the bus lane, but Arriva did not know on this occasion.

“The bus driver blocked the lorry and refused to move, saying it could not legally reverse through the car park.

“We had to go out and explain everything to the driver and after five or ten minutes of talking, the bus driver reversed out of the way.”

While the vehicles looked like they were touching, it is not thought they had hit each other.

One onlooker, who asked not to be named, said: “From what I could see they were very close, but not touching.

“I don’t know if they actually crashed – they both drove off fine.

“The lorry had obviously come down the bus lane, which he should not have done, but the bus driver was being very stubborn and refusing to move.”

Nobody from bus company Arriva was unavailable for comment.