A BUS attempting to make its way through a crowd of revellers was the only incident of concern at the switch-on of Barnard Castle's Christmas lights, local councillors were told.

The driver of the Arriva vehicle attempted to take the vehicle along part of Galgate which had been closed for the ceremony, which took place last Friday.

Councillor Angela Grady told Barnard Castle Town Council's partnership committee: “That could have been a very dangerous mistake.

“It was a very good night. I spoke to a lot of people and the only thing that alarmed me was the way the bus tried to go through the crowd.”

The meeting was told arrangements for the switch-on had been discussed with the Durham Safety Advisory Group and the county's passenger transport service was aware of the road closure arrangements.

Signs highlighting the road closures had also been erected in the area well in advance of the event.

Nick Knox, area managing director for Arriva North East, said: “We are aware of this incident and we understand that our driver worked with the event marshalls to ensure that the bus left the area safely.

“The safety of the public, our passengers and employees is of the utmost importance to us and we always ensure that any diversions that we are made aware of are communicated to our staff.”