SHOPPERS in Southampton city centre had a lucky escape when a bus careered off the road and on to the pedestrian precinct.

The single-decker was involved in a collision with two other buses and two cars right on the pedestrian crossing outside McDonald's yesterday afternoon.

Three people, including the male driver of the Solent Blue Line bus and a woman pedestrian, were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

All the passengers on the three buses walked away from the accident unharmed.

Witness Richard Boreham, of Nutfield Court, Maybush, said: "It seemed like the bus driver's foot was just stuck on the accelerator. We were walking up towards the precinct and saw the bus coming towards us, so we just starting running like mad.

"It only just missed us."

His brother Peter, 27, of Faringdon Road, Harefield, added: "There was a pretty loud bang. It's lucky the bus stopped because if it hadn't hit the car, God knows where it was going to end.

"The six passengers on the bus seemed to be alright but the driver was obviously in shock."

Staff in McDonald's called the emergency services and then joined customers and staff from nearby shops in helping people from the cars and buses.

Firefighters from St Mary's isolated the batteries and fuel systems on the buses to make them safe, before using heavy lifting gear to move the first bus.

Solent Blue Line commercial manager Philip Curtis said: "I believe the driver is just in shock and we will want to piece together what happened.

"The most important thing is none of the passengers or pedestrians were seriously injured."