Questions remain after a school bus overturned on the M53 in the Wirral, Merseyside, this morning.

While the situation continues to develop, here's a reminder of what we know so far.

• Emergency services responded at around 08:00 after a coach struck a reservation on junction five (J5) of the motorway
• Dozens of people were assessed at the scene and so far we know that one female was taken to hospital with major injuries - there has been no word yet on other injuries or casualties
• Merseyside Police, alongside the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, are holding a news conference in a moment to give an update
• NWAS and Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital had declared major incidents after the crash - the hospital later downgraded this, but said its A&E department remained busy
• Calday Grange Grammar School and West Kirby Grammar School, both in West Kirby, have confirmed their bus was involved - the coach service, Carvers, carries students from both schools
• The motorway remains closed between J5 at Ellesmere Port and J4 at Bebington
• And Merseyside's police and crime commissioner, Emily Spurrell, has asked people to refrain from speculating about the incident - and sharing images that could upset people

We're turning our attention to that press conference in a moment - stay with us for live updates.

Image source, .

We've heard from Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram, who says he's "deeply concerned" about the news of a school bus crash on the Wirral.

In a post on X, external, formerly Twitter, he adds that his thoughts "are with those affected and their loved ones" - and "as ever, we're so grateful to our emergency services".

We heard from other political figures a little earlier, including Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, which you can catch up on here.

Alder Hey Children's Hospital says it is expecting no further casualties from the M53 school bus crash, hence the decision to downgrade the major incident status.

The hospital stresses that while its A&E unit is extremely busy, other departments are working as normal.

An update from Alder Hey Children's Hospital now, which says it has officially "de-escalated" its response to the crash from a major incident.

But in a statement on X, previously Twitter, the hospital warns that its A&E "remains extremely busy" after the crash on the M53.

It once again asks people to "only attend in cases of emergency".

Anyone with an appointment scheduled for today should attend as normal, the hospital adds.

Nick Garnett
Reporting from Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool

All casualties injured in the crash are now being treated at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool.

Initially those injured were also taken to nearby Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral.

Alder Hey says its emergency procedure is in place which has meant calling some staff into work who are on their leave day.

Merseyside Police say there'll be a news conference in less than an hour - at 14:30 - where they'll give an update on the crash.

It'll be held by the force's head of local policing for the Wirral, chief superintendent Graeme Robson, at Birkenhead Town Hall.

He'll be joined by:

• Joanne Clague, area director for North West Ambulance Service Cheshire and Merseyside
• Mark Thomas, area manager of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service

We'll bring you live updates when it starts - and you can watch along by clicking the Play button at the top of this page.

An update from the Wirral hospital trust now on how it is responding to the crash on the M53.

In a statement, the trust says a major incident has been declared and a major incident team has been stood up "to manage the situation".

It says "clear plans are in place" to deal with emergencies of this kind and that its services are "ready to receive any casualties".

Dr Nikki Stevenson, medical director at Wirral University Teaching Hospital, says: "Our thoughts are with those affected by this event and we are ready to provide treatment and support to any casualties and relatives arriving at Arrowe Park Hospital."

Rebecca Wearn
Reporting at the scene

Several hours have now passed since a coach taking children to school overturned on the M53 in Merseyside.

The motorway is still closed in both directions and will be until further notice.

Our team has been speaking to police officers at a cordon overlooking the motorway not far from the town of Bromborough, in the Wirral.

While their investigation continues, we're not permitted to look down onto the site, but emergency vehicles are still in attendance.

We've just received new aerial images of the crash site, captured by a news helicopter overhead.

You can see Carvers, the name of the bus company, emblazoned on the side of the vehicle, as well as smashed windows and debris strewn across the road.

This map gives you a better sense of where the incident took place this morning - and where the affected schools are.

Police say they received a report of a bus striking the reservation on the M53 near junction 5 at 8:00BST. It was carrying school students from both Calday Grange Grammar School and West Kirby Grammar School, both in West Kirby, in the Wirral, north-west England.

Image source, .

An update from Alder Hey Children's Hospital now, which earlier declared a major incident.

While the number of casualties has not yet been made clear, the hospital confirms it is "treating a number of patients".

"We will continue to support and liaise with families directly and are unable to share any further details of individual patients at this time," a statement on the Alder Hey website reads.

It reiterates that the emergency department is "extremely busy" and asks again that parents only bring their child to the hospital "if it is urgent".

We brought you news earlier of the major incident declared by Alder Hey Children's Hospital. The North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) has also declared a major incident, saying it dispatched "a large number of resources to the scene including ambulances advanced paramedics our hazardous area response team and a HEMS doctor".

As we've been reporting, one female patient was taken to hospital with major injuries. Dozens were assessed at the scene and Alder Hey is treating a number of them.

Earlier we heard from Labour's Margaret Greenwood, who represents Wirral West, and since then more local MPs have spoken out - as well as Education Secretary Gillian Keegan.

Here's what they've said.

The clip below captures the section of the M53 motorway where a school bus full of children overturned this morning.

A coach is shown lying on its side. Cones and police cordons can also be seen, flanked by emergency service workers and queuing traffic.

Police said the vehicle struck a reservation on junction 5.

We're now hearing from Merseyside's police and crime commissioner Emily Spurrell, who's urging people not to speculate about the crash.

In a post on X, external, formerly Twitter, she says doing so "could cause distress", adding:

Margaret Greenwood, the MP for Wirral West, says her "thoughts are with everyone affected by the incident on the M53".

Posting on X, external, formerly Twitter, the Labour MP says she knows emergency services will be working hard to support people.

She also urges anyone in need of assistance to call her constituency office.

This is what the scene on the M53 looked like just a short while earlier, with the coach lying on its side surrounded by emergency vehicles.

The situation in the Wirral is developing quickly after a school bus overturned on the M53 - and we'll continue to bring you the latest updates as we get them.

In the meantime, here's everything we know so far:

• Police received a report at 08:00 BST that a bus struck a reservation on junction five (J5) of the motorway
• Emergency services, including two air ambulances, attended the incident
• 50 people have been assessed at the scene with one female patient taken to hospital so far with major injuries, according to the ambulance service
• Calday Grange Grammar School and West Kirby Grammar School have both confirmed their bus was involved - the coach service involved carries students from both schools
• The motorway has been closed between J5 at Ellesmere Port and J4 at Bebington

Stay with us as we bring you the latest.

Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool has declared a major incident.

In a statement it says:

Striking NHS staff in the Wirral are leaving the picket line to return to work following a "serious traffic incident" in the area, according to the local union branch.

Posting on X, external, formerly Twitter, Unison North West says it has dispersed its picket and clinical support workers are "returning home to be on-call to help".

"Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by this terrible incident," it adds.

Unison says its pickets in Warrington and Halton will continue for now.

The union also says it will cease posting on social media today "as a mark of respect for the victims and their families".