A MALE pedestrian died after a bus careered into a shop in Tyldesley this morning.

The single-decker bus is believed to have collided with a wall before crashing through the front of an empty shop in Elliott Street.

The Blue Bus vehicle mounted the pavement and ploughed into the empty shop at 10.45am.

A female pedestrian was also hurt in the accident, but was

treated for minor injuries at the Royal Bolton Hospital after being cut from beneath the vehicle by firefighters.

None of the bus passengers were injured, but the driver was

treated for shock.

The centre of Tyldesley was sealed off as the injured were treated at the scene.

An eyewitness, Wendy Linehan, from Global Travel which is next to the empty shop, said: "The bus seemed to have lost control and it passed our window very fast.

"I didn't see the impact, but I just heard the screams."

Lynne Ellisson, the owner of Jo's Cafe, said: "I didn't hear anything, but a customer came in and told us.

"We went outside, the shop was in a real mess with bricks all ove the road. I saw the driver slumped over the wheel, people were saying there were a couple of people trapped under the bus."

Staff at the Royal Bolton Hospital were placed on standby and several teams of paramedics were sent to the accident.

Johnson Street were closed for a time, but has now reopened, Ellioot Street is still partially closed.