Three children and two adults have been taken to hospital after a bus crash in north-east London the London Ambulance Service (LAS) has said.

       Police were called at around 8.20am to Highams Park, east London where a double decker bus had collided with the building.

       LAS said medics, which included a trauma team from the Air Ambulance treated 19 and assessed people at the scene.

       In a statement on Twitter the LAS said: “Of those 19, we took five people to hospital: three children and two adults.”

       Meanwhile, the owner of a local cafe who helped with rescue efforts said a number of schoolchildren were among the injured passengers found “scared and crying” inside the bus.

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       Eric Garip, 38, told the PA news agency he rushed out of The Corner Cafe after hearing a “big bang” on the opposite side of the road and began trying to carry people out through the emergency door of the bus.

       “There were a couple of kids on the floor,” he said.

       Emergency services at the scene on The Broadway in Highams Park, east London, where a number of people are being treated by paramedics from the London Ambulance Service after a bus collided with a building (Victoria Jones/PA)

       (PA Wire)

       “We were trying to take the kids out and they were panicking.

       “I spoke to the driver and said to come out he said ‘I can’t, I’m stuck.’”

       He added: “Some parents were in the bus as well crying.

       “I tried to calm them but it was a big shock.

       “We went upstairs and told the kids to come out but one was on the stairs so (we) were lifting them.

       “It was very bad.

       “They were all scared and crying.”

       An LAS spokesperson earlier said: “We were called at 8.19am to reports of an incident involving a bus on The Broadway, Highams Park.

       “We sent a number of resources to the scene including ambulance crews, advanced paramedics, paramedics in fast response cars, incident response officers and members of our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART).

       “We also dispatched a trauma team from London’s Air Ambulance.”

       Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “My thoughts are with everyone affected by this terrible incident.”

       Road closures are in place while emergency services work at the scene.

       A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: “At approximately 8.20am on Tuesday January 25 police were called to reports of a bus in collision with a shop in Selwyn Avenue, E4.

       “Officers and London Ambulance Service are on scene.

       “A number of people have reported suffering injuries and are being treated at the scene.

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       “Road closures remain in place around the junction of Selwyn Avenue and Winchester Road.

       “Inquiries into the circumstances remain ongoing.”