A MAN has been hailed a hero for helping to rescue screaming children from the bus which overturned on its way to school on Monday.

Ben Thomas, 22, saw the coach ‘tipping over’ and landing on its side - trapping terrified youngsters, some of them bleeding, inside.

The 22-year-old, from Royston, Barnsley, smashed the rear window of the bus with his hands to free the youngsters - fearing that the coach could go up in flames.

The traffic management officer rescued around a dozen children before emergency services arrived at the scene of the collision, on the B4399, near to the Holme Lacy bridge, just after 8.20am.

“I could hear screaming but it was only when I looked through the windows that I realised there were children inside,” he said.

“There was oil leaking and there was smoke coming from underneath so I knew I had to act quickly to get the kids out.

“There was nothing to smash the window with. I tried to kick the window through at first but my shoes kept slipping off the glass so I had to punch it through in the end.

“I helped about 12 off one by one and took them to safety and split them up into those that were injured and those that were not. One girl fainted in my arms.

“There was another girl with blood all over her face, who was screaming on the floor of the bus, who needed helped out too.

“I am proud of what I did, if I hadn’t helped I would have always looked back with regret.”

Ben’s boss, BDSS Ltd managing director Dean O’Brien, said: “Everyone at BDSS Ltd is very proud to have Ben Thomas as part of our team.

“We know Ben is a little embarrassed at the commendations he is receiving from his colleagues and members of the public.

"In Ben’s words ‘I just did what anyone else would have done’ but we don’t think so.

“Ben acted in a selfless manner punching out windows to reach the pupils and getting them out of the bus, not giving a second thought for his own safety.”

A 28-year-old lorry driver from Redditch has been arrested in connection with the crash after police identified a vehicle they believe may have been travelling in the opposite direction at the time.

He has been arrested on suspicion of causing injury by dangerous driving.

More than 20 children were taken to hospital with minor injuries following the crash and the bus driver, Eileen Hampton, is still in hospital with chest and abdominal injuries.