FOUR passengers on an East Lancashire bus which was involved in a serious crash in York are still in hospital today.

All passengers, including some from Chorley, on the coach belonging to Viscount Central, of Burnley, will be interviewed by police investigating the accident.

The four who remain in hospital are a man from Ashton-under-Lyne, who is in St James Hospital, Leeds, a woman from Bramhall, Cheshire, who is in York District Hospital and a couple from Heysham, who are in York District Hospital.

The driver and 49 passengers had been on a five-day holiday in the Scarborough area and were returning home on the A64 near York racecourse when the single-deck coach crashed into a stationary, broken-down lorry, which was at the side of the dual carriageway.

The impact forced the coach to crash through the central reservation, over the two lanes of the opposite carriageway and travel across a field, before finally coming to a halt about 400 yards from the lorry. Most of the passengers who were discharged after treatment, praised the actions of the driver.

The tour had been arranged by Alfa Travel of Chorley and a spokesman for the company, Simon Posner, said the company would be carrying out its own internal investigation once the police and vehicle inspectorate had completed theirs.

Five hospitals were put on alert to receive the casualties and one injured passenger was air-lifted from the scene.

Viscount Central was expected to make a statement about the incident today.