The driver of a lorry that knocked over a bus in Battersea seriously injuring two passengers has escaped a jail term.

David Schofield, 49, of Doncaster, was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on Friday (April 9) for the accident which happened in December 2009.

He was given a suspended 30-week prison sentence for dangerous driving and a two-year driving ban. He was also ordered to carry out 200 hours community service and pay £1,500 costs.

His DAF lorry collided with the C3 bus in Plough Road at the junction with St John's Hill at around 8.30am on December 16.

He was judged to have failed to properly ensure the road was clear as he turned into it and was driving the heavy goods vehicle during restricted hours.

The lorry was carrying railway track from the nearby railway depot and when it toppled the bus onto its side the track spilt out onto the road and the bus.

Two passengers were seriously injured, with one breaking their pelvis and the other receiving a punctured lung.

Another 15 passengers and the bus driver were also taken to hospital for minor injuries.

Schofield had no previous driving convictions and had already lost his job as a result of the accident.

Sentencing Schofield Judge Andrew Campbell said: “This was a very unusual case of dangerous driving, far removed from those who drive at high speeds, that race each other or others that are under the influence of drink or drugs.

“But the results of what you did were catastrophic.”

“I have decided in spite of the injuries that you have caused, I will not give you a custodial sentence.”

He also commended a number of passengers and passers-by for their help in rescuing passengers from inside the bus before emergency services arrived.