MORE than 50 foreign students escaped uninjured from a blazing double-decker coach in Hampshire.

The fire on the A31 eastbound at Poulner Hill, near Ringwood, caused tailbacks across the border into Dorset for more than two hours yesterday.

A total of 54 children aged nine to 15, along with 11 staff from the Anglo-Continental Educational Group in Bournemouth and five group leaders were on their way to Thorpe Park.

They were travelling on a double-decker rear-engined coach belonging to David Thompson Tours of Lincoln Avenue, Christchurch, and driven by Derek Roe, of Ashley Heath.

Mr Roe said: "One of the passengers said there was smoke. Looking in the mirror I saw there were flames coming out of the back. I pulled over and got everybody out.

"There was no panic. We got everybody out. They were absolutely superb.''

Group leader Jacqueline Brazier said: "The flames went 'whoof' and there were bangs and mini explosions going off."

The students were evacuated to the nearby home of Sonia Taylor and Peter Mason, where they waited patiently for replacement single-decker coaches to take them on to Thorpe Park.

One of the students, Adam, who is English but lives in Poland, lost all his personal documents and his wallet in the blaze.

Firefighters from Ringwood and Burley dealt with the incident.