TWELVE children were taken to hospital after their school bus caught fire today.

The Croydon Coaches bus had just picked up pupils in Marshfield to take them to Bassaleg School when a blaze broke out in the vehicle's engine and filled the double-decker with smoke.

A spokeswoman for Gwent Police said: "The fire was confined to the engine. The children were removed, put on another bus and taken to school.

"Twelve of the children were taken to the Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, with minor smoke inhalation."

It is thought there were around 60 pupils on the bus.

A spokeswoman for South Wales Fire Service said they were called to the scene just before 8.30am.

She said the report was of one bus on fire, near the Coach and Horses pub, on the A48 at Castleton.

Witnesses reported hearing a large bang when the engine blew. Roy Baghurst who was driving his bus behind the vehicle that caught fire.

He said: "I was travelling behind the bus when there was a large pop and smoke started coming out of the rear of the bus, we pulled over and the bus filled with smoke which must have been quite scary for the kids on board."

A police spokesman said: "There was a small fire after the engine blew. Several children were taken to hospital as a precaution for smoke inhalation."

A Newport city council spokeswoman said a routine health and safety investigation would take place.