A BUS driver has been cleared of deliberately hitting a teenager over the head with a brick.

Sabbir Patel, 53, never denied landing the single blow to his victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, but said he was acting in self-defence.

And a jury of eight men and four women took just at Preston Crown Court took just 48 minutes to find Patel not guilty of a single count of ABH.

The court heard how earlier in the day of the incident involving he brick the teenage boy had kicked Patel, who works for Transdev in Blackburn, in the leg and swore at him.

But the incident came to a head later when the boy rammed Patel with a bicycle.

It is as that point the teenager's head came into contact with the brick.

Patel always insisted he was acting in self-defence, an account the jury believed.

When arrested he told police that he picked up the brick and hit the teenager as he feared he was about to be attacked. But he told the jury he gave that initial account at a time when he was not in a fit state to be interviewed.

When in the witness box he said he had fallen back after being rammed by the bike and picked up an unknown object and reached out in self-defence. It was at the point the boy's head collided with the brick.