MEMBERS of the public have reacted to the “absolute carnage” caused after the roof of a double decker bus was torn off in a crash with a bridge.

At around 9.45am today (Tuesday) a double decker bus crash into the bridge on Charlton Road, taking the roof clean off.

It is believed that the bus was empty at the time and that no one was hurt. Police have been contacted for a further comment.

Witness Andrew Meaton was parked up in Tesco just down the road when he realised what had happened.

“I looked across and all of a sudden there’s an open top bus next to me,” he said, “but obviously it wasn’t meant to be an open top bus.

“I looked up the road and there was absolute carnage.”

As well as the roof – which was taken clean off – lying in the road there was glass and other debris strewn across the ground. But Andrew says drivers continued to drive on regardless.

The seats on the upper deck of the bus had also been clipped by the bridge.

Andrew says that most people he's heard from have said they aren’t surprised as this is something that’s happened “three or four times at least” in the past.

He added: “The main comment has been, ‘how many times as this got to happen before something is done?’

“If that bus had been on the way to school, it would have been an absolute tragedy.”

Others took to Facebook to react to the news.

One commenter on the Advertiser Facebook page said: “How many more times is this going to happen? The poor bridge must have a phobia it's been attacked so many times.”

Another added: “A bus in Andover today, a lorry in Romsey yesterday.... these drivers need to start driving with due care and attention and know the height of their vehicles.”

Others, meanwhile, have called for more to be done to warn drivers of the dangers of the bridge.

One person commented: “To be fair they need to put low bridge warning signs further back example by the hospital and on the mini round about that bridge has been hit at least twice a year.”