Shocked parents today spoke of their horror after hearing of a bus crash involving their children.

Twelve children, a van driver, his passenger and the bus driver were all taken to hospital this morning following a head-on crash on the B1022 Maldon Road at Birch, near Hutton builder's centre.

And as worried parents converged on Colchester General Hospital today they spoke of their ordeal.

None of the children was seriously hurt although many sustained whiplash injuries, cuts and bruises.

Jenny Stiff, a radiology secretary at the hospital, said her husband rang her at work with the news after a friend called him from the scene.

She rushed to A&E to meet her 12-year-old son Adam.

Mrs Stiff, of Mill Lane, Birch, cuddling and hugging her son, said: "It's that moment every parent dreads. My colleagues told me to just get down to casualty and wait."

Adam, nursing a jarred neck being supported by a brace, said the crash happened "so quickly".

He added: "I've never been in a crash before and I don't want to again."

David Long, of Greenfield Houses, Birch, was at work just 500 yards from the crash so was one of the first parents on the scene.

His 11-year-old son Dominic, who also suffered whiplash, said children were thrown "all over the bus".

He added: "I remember the bus started breaking and then everyone flying forward. There was a loud noise and everything stopped."

Daniel Smith, 12, of Luard Way, Birch, can clearly remember the bus front window shattering.

He added: " As the bus went forward I smashed my head on the seat in front. I was talking to my mate at the time and didn't know what was going on. The noise was awful."

Thirteen-year-old Chris Hutton, also of Greenfield Houses, Birch, "crashed" his head on impact.

"I hit the bar of the seat in front. Everyone was just so shocked."

Pictures: STEVE ARGENT and STEVE BRADING

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.