A hero passenger steered an out of control bus to safety after the driver suffered a heart attack at the wheel - despite not being able to drive herself.

Sally Zimmermann was on board the vehicle when the driver fell back in his seat and the coach began to swerve into the fast lane.

She tried to speak to him, but there was no response, so she undid her seatbelt and tried to rouse him.

The Mercedes coach then veered into the road's fast lane, before hitting its central reservation last October as it was taking 19 foreign students from Gatwick to Canterbury, along the M20.

Sally, who does not hold a driving licence, moved the driver out of the way, took control of the vehicle and started looking for its brake to bring the vehicle to a stop without any injuries.

Ms Zimmermann told officers after the crash: "I didn't know which one was the brake pedal, but I do now, it's the middle one."

She was recognised at a Surrey Police commendation ceremony for her "brave and selfless actions" at Guildford Cathedral.

A citation read out at the ceremony said: "Sally's quick thinking and brave actions to take control of the large moving vehicle not only ensured the safety of those passengers on the coach but also prevented what could have been a catastrophic accident involving other vehicles.

"This was all the more challenging for Sally as she does not hold a driving licence and the episode occurred on such a busy, dangerous motorway."

The driver died as a result of the heart attack.