IT was a case of a bridge too far for a group of day-tripping Suffolk pensioners when their bus got trapped on the way to a Tudor mansion.More than a dozen members of the Bedfield and Monk Soham Over 60s Club were left stranded in Coddenham Road, Needham Market, when the minibus they were travelling in got stuck under a notorious low railway bridge.

IT was a case of a bridge too far for a group of day-tripping Suffolk pensioners when their bus got trapped on the way to a Tudor mansion.

More than a dozen members of the Bedfield and Monk Soham Over 60s Club were left stranded in Coddenham Road, Needham Market, when the minibus they were travelling in got stuck under a notorious low railway bridge.

The group had been travelling to historic Kentwell Hall in Long Melford when the accident happened at about 11.55am yesterday.

Their plans for the day had to be ditched in favour of a picnic at Needham Lake when it became clear the bus was well and truly wedged in.

One of the passengers on the bus, Barbara Granath, said there was a loud noise as the bus entered the bridge.

She said: “The sunroof wouldn't go under as it was just a bit higher than the bridge itself and the bus came to a halt.

“We just wondered what had happened and realised immediately we were stuck.

“They had to deflate the tyres to lower the bus.

“It was a case of either lowering the bus or raising the bridge so there was only really one option.”

Police attended the scene and the road had to be closed while the bus was freed.

The bridge is well-known locally for causing difficulties for lorries, some of which are wrongly routed down the road by satellite navigation systems.

There has been a campaign in the town to improve the situation which can cause frustrating delays for motorists.