A PENSIONER had to have her leg amputated after she was hit by a double decker bus, a court heard.

Dora Birch, aged 91, was on a pedestrian crossing at Bolton Bus Station off Blackhorse Street on Saturday, November 2, last year when she was hit by the number 36.

Bolton Magistrates Court heard Mrs Birch was “very active for someone of her age” and a keen golfer — before she suffered the “life-changing injuries”.

Bus driver Adrian Bass was yesterday found guilty of driving the bus without due care and attention.

The 41-year-old, of Windemere Road, Farnworth, was given three points on his licence and a £130 fine as well as being ordered to pay £750 in court costs.

Following the verdict Richard Stone, prosecuting, read out a statement on behalf of Mrs Birch who is now forced to live in a care home with round the clock assistance.

She said: “I am in physical and psychological pain. I am absolutely devastated.

“I’m unable to drive and must use a wheelchair. I can’t play golf anymore which was a huge part of my life.

“I don’t have many years left and the bus driver has ruined my life with his stupidity of not looking.”

Bass, a driver for First Manchester at the time, was completing a 180 degree turn, driving out of one exit of the bus station and then back into the next entrance.

Mr Stone said Mrs Birch was hit by one side of the bus and that a wheel then ran over her legs.

He said: “She suffered heavy blood loss and was airlifted to hospital where it was discovered that she had broken her left hip, her left femur and seriously injured her right leg.”

Mrs Birch was in a critical condition in hospital and required a blood transfusion.

Doctors later decided that injuries to her right leg were so severe that they needed to amputate her right leg up to her knee.

Bass, who claimed he did not see the pensioner on the crossing, is now working as a bus driver for South Lancashire Travel but is due to hear from the traffic commissioner on whether he will keep his professional licence.

Chair of the bench Carolynn Higson said: “We have watched the CCTV which shows that Mrs Birch was at least halfway across the crossing and you should have seen her —we find this owes to a lapse of concentration.”

She said the result had been “catastrophic” for all involved.