Go North East passengers left on bus as driver 'quits'

Go North East operates the Angel 21 between Newcastle and Durham (stock image)

A bus driver appeared to quit his job while at the wheel, leaving his passengers stuck inside the double-decker.

Travellers on the Angel 21 service between Durham and Newcastle said they were left to work out how to exit the abandoned vehicle on Wednesday night.

Bus company Go North East said it would investigate why its customers were left stranded near the Angel of the North.

"We clearly can't condone the actions of this driver," a spokesperson said.

The driver pulled up to a stop beside the Gateshead landmark, got off the bus and closed the doors behind him, according to passengers.

One said those left onboard "did not know what was going on" before realising the driver was not coming back.

The helpless passengers then had to work out how to get off the bus, pressing a combination of buttons, before flagging down another service.

Go North East, which describes itself as the biggest bus operator in the region, confirmed to the BBC the incident did take place.

It vowed to "ensure the issue is investigated and dealt with according to our internal procedures".

It added: "We can only apologise to any customers who were inconvenienced by this event".