Police investigate after bus hit by level crossing barrier

POLICE are trying to establish how a bus travelling at a snail's pace managed to end up under a barrier at a notorious level crossing.

Railway operators Network Rail said the bus was travelling at "between three and five miles an hour" when the barrier fell, smashing the window of the First Bus service.

Neither the driver nor his ten passengers were injured.

British Transport Police said they were satisfied that the driver was not breaking the law, but had yet to ascertain how the incident happened. A spokesman said: "Lothian and Borders Police are dealing with this as a road traffic accident, so I can't add much as they have an investigation ongoing.

"BTP are satisfied no rail-related offences occurred and there was only minor damage."

Network Rail insist that all of the level crossing's safety measures were working correctly.

The crossing is a regular target for police crackdowns, and is regularly featured in the top five of the most abused level crossings in Scotland.