Ten people have been kept in hospital in France overnight after a coach carrying children on a school trip crashed.

Teacher Peter Rippington, 59, was killed in the incident near Chalons-en-Champagne early yesterday.

The coach was carrying the children, aged 12 or 13, home to Alvechurch School, Worcestershire, from a ski trip in Val d’Aosta in Italy.

More than 20 people were hurt in the crash.

The driver, who suffered only minor injuries, subsequently tested negative for alcohol and drugs.

An electronic log kept onboard the coach which recorded the number of hours driven also showed nothing unusual, police said.

However, investigations are focusing on the possibility the driver fell asleep at the wheel.

He is being held by police in Chalons-en-Champagne.

The vehicle involved was owned by Solus Coaches.