A COACH crashed into a ditch on the side of the A338 Spur Road on Sunday evening.

Police and ambulance attended the single-vehicle incident on the southbound carriageway, near Ashley Heath roundabout.

The driver of the Laguna coach, a Bournemouth man, who was the only person on board, has been taken to hospital with suspected minor injuries.

Witnesses reported that the vehicle had completely left the road just after dedicated slip lane from the A31 comes to an end.

A spokeswoman for Dorset Police said: “We were called at 6.01pm to a report of a single vehicle collision involving a coach that had left the carriageway near the Ashley Heath roundabout on the A338.

“Officers have attended along with the ambulance service.

“A lane closure was put in place to allow emergency services to deal with the incident."

It is understood that a full closure of the southbound carriageway would be put in place by Dorset Police, with assistance from Highways England, to allow for a safe working environment to recover the coach.