POLICE have refused to give an explanation for suddenly closing an Exmoor road on Wednesday (November 5) as part of their investigation into a fatal school coach crash which happened in July.

The A396 Cutcombe Hill road between Wheddon Cross and Timberscombe was closed from 9.30 am and was not due to be reopened until 4.30 pm.

It was the scene of a crash where a coach carrying pupils and staff of Minehead Middle School left the road and slid down an embankment, killing one child and injuring 19 other people.

The road was closed for a week at the time of the tragedy while Avon and Somerset Constabulary’s serious collision investigation team forensically examined the scene.

Now, officers have returned to carry out further investigations into the cause of the crash but without specifying what they were looking at.

Only last week, police said it was a complex investigation which would take time to complete.

Road users were asked to plan ahead and use alternative routes if they were travelling during the closure times.

Atwest’s no 198 bus service between Dulverton and Minehead, which has stops in Timberscombe and Wheddon Cross, was being diverted during the closure period.