The driver of the bus also died in Friday morning's incident but has not yet been publicly identified.

A total of 54 people were on board - with many assessed at the scene near Hooton.

Fifty children were taken to a casualty centre at the emergency services training centre in Wallasey. Thirty-nine were later discharged and the rest taken to hospital for more treatment.

A further two people were taken to Alder Hey Children's Hospital with serious injuries.

Calday Grange all-boys grammar school and West Kirby all-girls grammar school said one of its school buses was involved.

Police said children from both schools were on buses that were travelling in convoy with the vehicle that crashed.

All those involved will be offered trauma support and family liaison officers are supporting relatives.

Firefighters helped people off the overturned bus, said Mark Thomas from Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service.

Emergency services declared a major incident due to the risk of multiple serious injuries in the crash, which happened just after 8pm.

"We sent a substantial number of ambulances, senior clinicians and our hazardous area response teams," said Joanne Clague, director for the North West Ambulance Service.

"A critical care doctor was also dispatched to the scene."

According to Calday Grange's website, the W3 bus route starts in the Chester suburb of Bache, making stops in Little Sutton, before joining the M53 on its route to West Kirby.

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