Mother describes aftermath of firework exploding in Gorleston bus

On Wednesday, police received a call from First Eastern Counties at 4.20pm, reporting that a boy had set off a firework on the top floor of a double decker bus.

The incident happened at around 3.15pm on the X11 service in Gorleston, near the James Paget University Hospital.

The bus, which had 46 passengers on board, was leaving the hospital and heading in the direction of Great Yarmouth.

Aisha Clarke was on the bottom floor with her two-year-old son at the time the firework exploded on the upper deck.

Miss Clarke, 24, is a regular passenger of the X11 and said it was usual for the bus to be "rowdy" with schoolchildren at that time.

"Schoolkids will be schoolkids and they were making quite a bit of noise and were being a bit boisterous," she said.

"But as the bus pulled off from the hospital, you could hear screaming upstairs. All of a sudden there was this massive bang. Everybody came running down the stairs and the whole bus filled with smoke."

Miss Clarke said several youngsters had come from the top deck and used the emergency exit to get off the bus, while the driver immediately called for help.

The driver instructed passengers that they were to remain onboard, but the bus would be taken straight to Market Gates and was no longer in service.

Damage was caused to one seat and the flooring and no one was believed to have been injured.

Miss Clarke added: "My two-year-old boy was frightened.

"He's frightened of fireworks when they go into the sky, let alone when one is let off just upstairs on the bus.

"He's okay now, luckily.

"But it would have been different had I decided to sit upstairs."

A 12-year-old boy has since been arrested on suspicion of arson, causing a public nuisance and for two offences under the Fireworks Regulation and Explosives Acts in connection with the incident.

He was taken to Great Yarmouth Police Investigation Centre where he will be questioned in due course.