A MOTHER said she and her children were almost crushed by a bus which mounted the pavement at a busy junction.

Bus company First has confirmed it is investigating a report of the near-miss at the junction of Holgate Road and Hamilton Drive, in York.

Sara Stone, of Hollybank Road, was with her nine-year-old daughter Phoebe, six-year-old son Louie and five-month-old baby who was in a pram when a First bus tried to get round the corner.

But, said Mrs Stone, the bus did not have enough room to manoeuvre and the back wheels came over the pavement.

The bus came close to wedging her and her young family against the wall.

She said: “I was just really scared, but you can’t show you’re scared because my kids were there and you don’t want to worry them.

“I was just hoping and praying it would be all right. I couldn’t move because it was so icy, so I was just hoping it would get round all right and wouldn’t hit us.”

Her husband, Andy, said near-misses involving large vehicles happened regularly at the junction.

Mr Stone said: “Because traffic is queuing up Hamilton Drive, big vehicles like lorries and buses can’t get the sweep to come round the corner and their back wheels are travelling over the pavement.

“It needs a bollard on that corner. It’s an accident waiting to happen.”

Mr Stone said he had raised the issue with his local councillor, James Alexander, and he had requested that measures should be taken.

Coun Alexander said: “Something has to be done about this corner. Not only were the family nearly crushed by a bus, but children walk along this corner to and from school.

“Talking to Andy and the local police, it seems that some vehicles, not just buses, are mounting the kerb due to oncoming traffic not giving enough time for the vehicle to turn round, in which case I think some traffic calming measures might be needed.

“However, in the meantime, I have requested that the council should install a bollard on this corner as a matter of urgency.”

A spokesman for First in York confirmed the incident had been reported to them and the company was looking into it.