A son took his mother's dead body on a 30-mile bus journey after she died as they enjoyed a day out together.

The 52-year-old man, believed to have learning difficulties, just wanted to get his 88-year-old mother home when she died suddenly after they enjoyed a last few hours together on a trip to Lancaster.

The woman is believed to have died on the bus on their journey home from Lancaster to Preston.

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: "She died when they were on a day out.

"He did not know what to do. He wanted to just get his mother home. It is just very tragic."

After arriving at Preston bus station, the son pushed his dead mother in her wheelchair off the bus and caught a second bus to get to her home in Chorley.

The son got off the Stagecoach 125 service at Chorley Interchange at around 8.30pm on Monday.

It was there that suspicions were raised by station staff and fellow passengers who called police as the son left the bus station with his mother in the wheelchair.

CCTV footage was examined to locate the man, who was stopped by officers on Friday Street in the town.

An ambulance was called and the pensioner was declared dead at the scene.

The spokesman for Lancashire Police confirmed the death is not being treated as suspicious.

He said: "The ambulance was called and sadly this woman was pronounced dead.

"It was investigated but was deemed to be non-suspicious.

"We spoke to a number of people at the time. We were there for several hours.

"This man has lost his mother and was struggling to know how to deal with it."

A fellow passenger on the bus to Chorley saw a security guard follow the man at Chorley Interchange bus station.

He told the Lancashire Evening Post: "I was not paying attention, I did not realise until I got off the bus and the security guard was asking 'Does she need an ambulance? Is she OK?'.

"He just ran off along the bus station and the security guard chased after him.

"The bus driver was with him.

"I was shocked when I found out the lady was dead. I had not noticed but it was the security guard who said 'I think she has passed away'."