A coach broke down in Ludlow, causing lunchtime chaos for motorists.

The engine cut out on the bus, which was only two months old, at traffic lights on the town’s busy Bull Ring at around 1pm yesterday.

It meant that queuing traffic could not see the traffic lights and a community support officer and parking attendant were drafted in to control the traffic flow.

A spokesman for Minsterley Motors said it sent another bus out to collect the driver so he could continue the Shrewsbury to Ludlow service.

It is not believed there were any passengers on the bus at the time it broke down.CSO Shaun Cullis said he had to stand in the road and guide the traffic.

He said today: “There were not any accidents and the traffic could flow quite smoothly.”

A parking attendant was also manning a pedestrian crossing just in front of the bus to make sure people were not standing in the road when cars moved off.

A mechanic was sent to the scene and it is believed the bus broke down due a fault with the disabled ramp, which caused the engine to cut out.

A spokesman for Minsterley Motors said: “The bus is only two months old and under warranty so it’s brand new.

“We have had to call the dealers down to Ludlow to come and fix it.”