Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Coventry bus crash: 80-year-old driver 'had warning' before crash

The 80-year-old bus driver who killed a seven-year-old boy and his grandmother after he crashed into a supermarket had received two dozen warning letters about his deteriorating standard of driving, a court heard.

Kailash Chander mistook the brake for the accelerator, thereby causing the crash. He had reportedly ignored warnings not to work when he was tired. Between July 2014 and September 2015, Chander had received 24 letters relating to a 'spy-in-the-cab' system called Ecodriver which monitored driver performance electronically.


The accident occurred on October 3, 2015 after Chander, a former Leamington Spa mayor, lost control of the Stagecoach bus and ploughed into a Sainsbury's supermarket in Coventry.

The entire accident was caught on CCTV and it showed Chander losing control of the bus before it crashed into the supermarket.

The crash happened after Chander had worked three consecutive 75-hour weeks.

He has been charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. Chander has been excused from attending a finding-of-facts trial at Birmingham Crown Court as he was found medically unfit.

Explaining the case against Chander, prosecution QC Andrew Thomas said: "The prosecution say that the collision was caused by a gross driver error.

"It appears that Mr Chander had not appreciated he had left the bus in 'drive' - that is, in gear - when he arrived at the stop on Hales Street.

"The bus started to move as soon as he took the handbrake off. Once the bus had started to move Mr Chander held his foot down on the throttle pedal instead of the brake, and that caused the bus to accelerate out of control.

"We suggest that the only possible explanation was that he had become confused over the controls of the bus. He thought that his foot was on the brake, but in fact he was accelerating hard."

Chander worked for Midland Red for 45 years. Although he officially retired in 2003, aged 65, he was re-hired almost immediately as a relief driver.

The trial continues.

More For You

UK-Pakistan talks may allow deportation of Rochdale child abusers
Adil Khan (left) and Qari Abdul Rauf. (Photo credit: Greater Manchester Police)

UK-Pakistan talks may allow deportation of Rochdale child abusers

PAKISTAN may reconsider accepting two convicted leaders of the Rochdale child sexual abuse gang if direct flights between the UK and Pakistan are restored, a senior Pakistani official has said.

Qari Abdul Rauf and Adil Khan, both found guilty of serious child sexual exploitation offences in the UK, were stripped of their British citizenship nearly a decade ago.

Keep ReadingShow less
Trump says 'won’t get Nobel' as Pakistan backs 2026 nomination

Donald Trump walks out of the Oval Office before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on June 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

Trump says 'won’t get Nobel' as Pakistan backs 2026 nomination

PAKISTAN government has announced that it will formally nominate US president Donald Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, citing his “decisive diplomatic intervention” during the recent military tensions between India and Pakistan.

The announcement was made on Saturday (21) on X, just days after president Trump hosted Pakistan Army Chief general Asim Munir at the White House.

Keep ReadingShow less
King Charles praises yoga as thousands join global celebrations

Yoga Day celebrations in the UK (Photo: X/@HCI_London)

King Charles praises yoga as thousands join global celebrations

HUNDREDS of people gathered in central London on Friday (20) evening to mark the 10th International Day of Yoga, with King Charles III sending a special message of support for the ancient practice that continues to grow in popularity across Britain.

The celebration took place at an iconic square on the Strand, organised by the Indian High Commission in partnership with King's College London. High commissioner Vikram Doraiswami opened the proceedings by reading out the King's personal message from Buckingham Palace.

Keep ReadingShow less
Parliament backs assisted dying in historic law shift

Supporters of the assisted dying law for terminally ill people hold a banner, on the day British lawmakers are preparing to vote on the bill, in London, Britain, June 20, 2025. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes

Parliament backs assisted dying in historic law shift

PARLIAMENT voted on Friday (20) in favour of a bill to legalise assisted dying, paving the way for the country's biggest social change in a generation.

314 lawmakers voted in favour with 291 against the bill, clearing its biggest parliamentary hurdle.

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India

An Air India Airbus A320-200 aircraft takes off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, India, July 7, 2017. Picture taken July 7, 2017.

Regulator warns Air India over delayed emergency equipment checks: Report

INDIA’s aviation regulator has warned Air India for violating safety rules after three of its Airbus aircraft operated flights without undergoing mandatory checks on emergency escape slides, according to official documents reviewed by Reuters.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued warning notices and a detailed investigation report highlighting the breach. These documents were sent days before the recent crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8, in which all but one of the 242 people onboard were killed. The Airbus incidents are unrelated to that crash.

Keep ReadingShow less