The vehicle, which was carrying 48 passengers back from a trip to see a Christmas lights attraction, left the road and ended up on its side near Penzance in Cornwall.

The first police car on the scene also lost control and crashed into the coach’s undercarriage while passengers were still inside.

Jane Moore, who helped walking wounded passengers in the aftermath, said the bus driver managed to steer the vehicle between two trees as it slid on “sheet ice”.

“There was no chance he could do anything but crash,” said Mrs Moore, who lives near to the crash scene. “He managed to avoid two huge trees and go through the gap, which saved a lot of them I think.

“He did fantastically. He was very shaken. There was no way he could have done anything to avoid it. It was sheet ice all the way down. It was like a mirror. We stepped out and nearly went over.”

Many of the passengers, from a local Women’s Institute branch, took refuge at the Moores’ family home, Mrs Moore said.

Her husband, George, daughters, Georgie, 19, and Sophia, 15, and Georgie’s boyfriend, Mike Crump, 23, also went to the aid of stricken passengers.

Georgie, who works at an art gallery, said: “I spent the evening with the driver. He was so good. He dodged two massive trees. It could have been so much worse.

“Once the crash happened, he kicked out the roof and got the passengers out. He was really calm and got everybody before himself.”

She said the driver, thought to be in his 50s, had a “golf ball” sized lump on his head and a graze.

Mr Crump, a rugby development officer, said the majority of people on the coach were women, although he saw three children who were unharmed.

“We were watching a movie when we had a knock at the door,” he said. “Myself and Georgie ran up the road. There was a paramedic there and two off-duty policemen. We asked if we could help.

“Georgie went back to get some torches. As the passengers got off, Sophia and Georgie were taking everybody to the house to get them looked at by paramedics. Most had cuts and bruises.”