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Bus smashes through man's house as he watches TV

Mark Denten and Ben Winship,Longtown, Cumbriaand
Dan Hall,North East and Cumbria
BBC David Davidson standing outside his damaged house in Longtown, Cumbria. He has a gash on his head and is wearing a black sweatshirt covered in dust and glasses. He is looking at the damage to his home, where masonry and bricks have fallen and left a huge hole into his living room.BBC
David Davidson's dog Ivor was hurt by falling debris when the bus crashed into his home

A bus has crashed into a man's house while he "was sitting watching telly", injuring him and his dog.

David Davidson said he "just heard the bang and the whole wall came in" when the vehicle smashed through his home on Mary Street, close to Longtown Primary School in Cumbria, shortly after 08:00 GMT on Tuesday.

Davidson, who has lived in the house since 1995 and was sporting a gashed head following the crash, said debris fell on him and his 12-year-old dog Ivor who is now recovering at a vets.

A woman in her 30s and a man in his 40s, who were in a car suspected of crashing into the Stagecoach single-decker bus prior to it hitting the house, have been arrested.

Cumbria Police said the woman was held on suspicion of dangerous driving, failing to stop at the scene of a collision, drug-driving and drinking and driving.

The man has been arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting.

A damaged white Stagecoach single-decker bus is being lifted up at the front after it crashed into a house. Two men in white helmets and hi-viz work clothing, one standing and another kneeling, inspect the bus which is behind a red and white cordon. A bungalow and a two-storey house can be partially seen behind the bus, only the front half of which is in shot.
The crash caused massive damage to the front of the Stagecoach bus

Witness Grant McCulloch heard the bang moments after dropping his son off at school.

"I didn't know what I was going to walk into," he said. "I didn't know if I'd be dragging people off, I just wanted to help."

When he climbed on to the bus, he found the driver was trapped behind his door and heard a sound that made him fear there was a gas leak.

It was later thought to be the compression system on the bus letting out air, however the gas supply to the house was isolated as a precaution.

"I was shook up, a bit emotional, I don't know why," McCulloch said.

"I've never seen anything like this."

Damage to David Davidson's house in Longtown after a bus crashed into it. There is a huge hole and bricks and wood are scattered on the floor. The wall inside is green. A white PVC door remains standing to the right of the hole.
A huge chunk of David Davidson's home was destroyed

Stagecoach said the driver "sustained minor injuries" and a passenger was "taken to hospital with reported minor injuries".

Several nearby parked cars were damaged, but police have not confirmed if they were hit by the car or the bus.

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