A BUS was left destroyed after the driver tackled a bridge too low in the early hours of the morning.

Hambro Hill in Rayleigh was left closed in both directions after a double decker bus, from First Bus, tried to go under the railway bridge but got stuck.

The incident took place at around 5.30am. The crash resulted in the entire top deck being destroyed by the bridge. Fortunately, no one was sitting there.

Police closing the road for several hours on Thursday morning to clear it.

Paramedics attended the scene as a precaution but no passengers on the lower deck required further treatment.

Lewis Ford, 18, was on the bus as he made his way to work at the M&S store on Rayleigh High Street when he heard the crunch as the driver went under the bridge.

He said: "We were driving along as usual, I was looking at my phone, it was dark so I didn't see that the bus had gone the wrong way, then we heard this massive loud crunch, I look up and all around the bus the glass, metal, chairs and debris are falling all around us. It was pretty scary.

"It's a miracle no one was hurt, as I've taken the bus for seven years to go to work and to school, and I normally sit on the top deck, I was going to today, but then I changed my mind last minute, so did another passenger I spoke to.

"It's pretty unbelievable, as a single decision could have meant I would have been up there and hit by the bridge."

Lewis's father Lee Ford said: “When he told me I was really confused, as no bus routes go down Hambro Hill, so I had no idea why it had gone that way.

“Our guess is the driver forgot to turn right to get onto Down Hall Road further back.”

Mr Ford added: “Lewis had to walk the rest of the way to work so was a bit late, but thankfully neither he nor anyone else was injured.”

Rayleigh resident Tom Dadds was driving to work in London shortly after 5.30am when he spotted the wrecked bus.

He said: “I think we got there about four minutes after it happened. We saw the ruined top deck, the glass and materials all over the road. The driver looked very angry, he was swearing a lot to himself by the side of the road.”

A spokesman for First Bus said: "We can confirm there no passengers on the top deck of the bus when it crashed into the bridge.

"Paramedics attended the scene but no one had any injuries requiring further treatment.

"We will be undertaking an investigation into how the bus crashed."