A COACH driver caught up in yesterday’s terror attacks in London has described his actions in the hours following the incident.
Kevin, who was transporting pupils and staff from Balsall Common Primary School to London , was mid-way through his Wednesday shift when he received a call from one of the teachers.
The 54-year-old, who has worked for Southam-based coach hire firm Catteralls for six years, was told their had been a shooting near Parliament.
Some of the children, staff and parent helpers were outside the building as the gunshots sounded across the capital, while others were in the Houses of Parliament gift shop.
As they were a distance away from the incident, some of those outside reported hearing a popping sound and a bang – but it was not obvious the sounds were gun fire or the car crashing into Westminster Bridge.
Kevin told The Observer: “My job yesterday was to pick children up from Balsall Common Primary School, drop them off at the Houses of Parliament, and then return them home.
“We parked up and left them to it.
“We were just getting ready to pick them up when we received a call from one of the teachers at around 2.50pm saying there had been a shooting.
“I wasn’t sure what they had seen but they mentioned a car had crashed into the side of the road.”
Kevin, who lives in Worcester, was parked waiting to pick up the pupils in Millbank when the incident happened.
As Abingdon Street was blocked, staff and pupils from the school had to walk through St James’ Park and past Buckingham Palace before meeting the coach drivers in Park Lane – approximately two miles from the terror scene.
He said: “Police officers wouldn’t let them walk from Parliament to where we were parked.
“There was obviously a lot of traffic and you could tell people knew something major had happened.
“Catteralls sent a news link out to drivers so we knew what was going on at the time.
“I wouldn’t say there was much of an adrenaline rush for ourselves.
“A lot of parents called asking if the children were okay.
“When everyone was on the coach the teachers told the children how wonderful they had acted in a serious situation and underlined the fact we were all safe.”
