THURSLEY volunteers were called into action on Monday night after three people died and many more were seriously injured when a coach travelling north on the A3 careered off the carriageway and hit a tree between the Hindhead Tunnel and the Thursley slip road.

The 52-seat coach was returning to Merseyside full of young festival-goers, who had been enjoying the Bestival music event on the Isle of Wight, when the accident occurred just before midnight.

The driver, named as Colin Daulby from Warrington, and two passengers were declared dead at the scene and one of the passengers was airlifted to Southampton General Hospital with life-changing injuries.

Following the emergency procedure set out in its Emergency Plan, Waverley Borough Council set up a rest centre in Thursley Village Hall, where passengers were taken following medical assessment.

Waverley staff worked to support the emergency services and all the other agencies involved throughout the operation, and grateful thanks were paid to village hall caretakers Mick and Tina Chant, who worked tirelessly after being alerted to the hall's new role to support everyone taken there.

For full story, see this week's Farnham Herald.