A QUICK-thinking lorry driver saved three physically disabled children from a burning mini-bus.

The children, all from the Medway area, were being driven to a special school in Westerham, near Sevenoaks, when the vehicle they were travelling in burst into flames on a busy motorway in early morning rush-hour traffic.

The drama unfolded on Wednesday morning, just after 8.30am on the M20. The frightened children, along with two other adults, were helped out of the burning Ford Iveco bus by a heroic truck driver, who pulled over to help.

As the children and adults were moved away from the burning vehicle on to the grass verge, the fire swept through the bus. Two lanes of the M20 were closed for more than two hours.

The bus, which is was on contract to Medway Council, was left totally burned out and later had to be removed by a recovery vehicle.

A police spokesman said: "A truck driver saw the mini-bus on the hard shoulder near Junction 1 one of the M20 and decided to help. Within a hour a relief vehicle was dispatched to pick up the children. No one was harmed but the children were a bit shaken up."

A Medway Council spokesman said: "We would like to thank the lorry driver who came to aid of the children and adults inside the vehicle. His quick-thinking obviously helped save the children from danger."

An investigation into what caused the fire has now been started.