Worried passengers were forced to change their travel plans after a “suspect package” was discovered on a bus in Rickmansworth.

On Tuesday afternoon, passengers on the 320 Arriva service noticed an unattended backpack left under one of the seats.

When the driver asked if it belonged to anyone, no-one responded.  

After informing his boss of the situation, the driver was told to return to his Hemel Hempstead base rather than call the police, according to one passenger

Fearing for his safety, he and several other passengers alighted the bus to continue their journey another way.

He said: “As a member of the public, I was in shock that the bus company did not contact police with terror on the rise.”

A spokesperson for Arriva said the bag was found to contain “nothing sinister”, but was unable to confirm further details.