BOSSES of a bus company are appealing for a woman to come forward after she was knocked over by one of their drivers as she walked on a pavement.

The driver has now been suspended after shocking footage showing the woman being sent flying by a hospital shuttle bus in Briercliffe Road, Burnley, was posted online last week.

In the video, the driver, who was taking the bus around the route of East Lancashire’s major hospitals, can be seen pulling up alongside the kerb outside of the Supersave Mini Market before hitting the pedestrian, who was with a friend.

He then remained inside the vehicle as she stood up and shook herself off – failing to check if she was OK.

Now, bosses at Holmeswood Coaches, who are contracted to run the service by East Lancashire Hospitals Trust, have confirmed that the driver in question was suspended as soon as they found out about the incident.

A spokesman said: “Our thoughts are with the woman and if she would like to get in touch we would be happy to open a conversation with her.

“The driver in question was suspended immediately pending a thorough investigation. This was very much a one-off incident.”

James Maguire, divisional director of estates and facilities at the trust, also issued an updated statement.

He said: “The trust is aware of, and shocked by, the bus incident which happened close to Burnley General Hospital. As the driver was the only person on the bus at the time, no other persons were injured.

“The bus is one of several used to operate a free service between Burnley General and Royal Blackburn teaching hospitals, and is operated under contract by Holmeswood Coaches. The bus and driver are the responsibility of the bus company.

“As soon as we were notified of the incident, we contacted the bus company and requested an investigation as a matter of urgency.”