Eight children were taken to hospital and 16 others were assessed on scene by ambulance staff following a two-coach collision in South Shropshire this morning.

West Midlands Ambulance Service received a 999 call to reports of a collision involving two coaches at 10.42am in Millichope Park in Munslow, north of Ludlow.

Three ambulances, three paramedic officers, the Trust’s Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), the Midlands Air Ambulance from Strensham and a BASICS emergency doctor from Mercia Accident Rescue Service (MARS) attended the scene.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: “Crews arrived to find two coaches, each carrying children who were on a school trip, which had been involved in a collision.

“With around 60 pupils and a number of adults on board, ambulance staff worked as a team to set up a triage assessment area to begin checking over those who had been injured.

“A total of 24 patients were triaged on scene and, of those, eight children required further hospital treatment.

The children had suffered a range of relatively minor injuries; two were taken to Hereford County Hospital while six were conveyed to Princess Royal Hospital.

“The remaining 16 patients who were assessed on scene were discharged and didn’t require any further treatment.”