A 72-year-old woman died two days after being hit by a bus in Barnet High Street, an inquest heard.

The inquest into the death of Pamela Sanderson, who was hit by a Metroline bus on November 29 last year, was held at North London Coroner's Court, in Wood Street, Barnet today.

The pensioner, of Union Street, Barnet, had been shopping in Iceland, and was crossing the road outside when driver Artur Szymezak, 47, knocked her onto the ground as he turned the corner from Salisbury Road, the court heard.

She was taken by London Air Ambulance to the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, where she died on December 1.

A post-mortem examination at Finchley Mortuary on December 4 found she died of severe head injuries.

Representing the family, Polly Dyer questioned the driver’s competence, and said she wished to explore whether he should have been driving, as there had been formal incidents recorded against him.

Coroner Andrew Walker said the court had been unable to trace Mr Szymezak, who had potentially returned to his native Poland, so a lot of her questions could not be answered.

The court heard how Mr Szymezak was sacked from Metroline at a hearing on December 4, 2014.

A witness statement read to the court described hearing a loud screech by the bus, and seeing Mrs Sanderson fall to the ground.

The court also heard how Mr Syzmezak had given two different accounts to the police, having told them immediately after the incident Mrs Sanderson had run into the road from in between parked cars.

But during a police interview on January 15, 2015, he said Mrs Sanderson had been standing in his blind spot when he moved into High Street.

In a transcript read out to the court, Mr Syzmezak said: “When I saw the lady I beeped but I touched her. I was driving very slowly, maybe a mile an hour.”

Asked by officers about his earlier account, he replied: “Now a little time has passed I think it happened slightly differently.”

He also told police he was nearing the end of his shift, having started at 8.30am, although he denied he was tired, and said he felt fit and well enough to drive.

Officers also questioned whether he had the “appropriate” qualifications to drive the bus.

Mr Syzmezak replied: “I think so, the company allowed me to do it.”

The driver also told police he believed there was nothing he could have done differently to prevent the collision, and it had caused him a lot of stress.

He added: “I am very upset about what happened.”

Giving evidence at the inquest, forensic expert PC Stephen Sayer, who studied CCTV, refuted Mr Syzmezak’s claim he had been driving at one mile per hour, saying it was more likely to have been five or six.

The court also heard from Raymond Webb, head of transport safety for Metroline, who said drivers went through a rigorous training process which lasted eight to ten weeks.

He confirmed Mr Syzmezak had been sacked, and said: “The driver has a duty to safeguard other road users. I believe it was felt it was gross misconduct.”

Coroner Andrew Walker recorded a verdict of death by road traffic collision.