A MAN was taken to hospital after being hit by a bus at Irvine Cross.

The incident happened during rush hour on Monday on the road near to the King Arms pub in High Street.

The man was struck by the Stagecoach single decker bus during the accident and was taken to Crosshouse Hospital with suspected broken ribs and a cut to his head.

The road was closed from 4.20pm, when the smash occurred and reopened at 6.15pm with traffic being diverted through East Road while officers dealt with the incident.

Police said they were carrying out inquiries to find out what caused the collision.

A spokesman for Police Scotland said: “At about 4.20pm on Monday, February 2015 a 61-year-old male from Kilmaurs was struck by a single decker bus on the road way outside the Kings Arms in High Street, Irvine.

"The male was treated at the road side prior to being taken to Crosshouse Hospital. The male sustained a cut to his head and suspected broken ribs. Enquiries are being carried out to establish the cause of the incident.” A spokeswoman for Stagecoach said: “At 4.17pm on Monday 16th February one of our vehicles was involved in an incident involving a pedestrian on Irvine High Street.

“Safety is our absolute priority and we have assisted Police with their investigation which has ruled out any wrongdoing on the part of our driver.

“Our thoughts are with the person involved and we wish them a swift recovery.”