The Bill star Jane Hayward, 69, was hit and killed by a double decker bus

The Bill star Jane Hayward died when she was hit by a double decker bus after looking the ‘wrong way’ as she crossed a busy road, an inquest has heard.

Mrs Hayward was struck by the bus in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, just before 2.30pm on June 15 this year and was dragged under its wheels.

Despite passers-by trying to help the 69-year-old and paramedics attending soon after the accident, she was pronounced dead just 40 minutes after being hit.

Mrs Haywood, who appeared in a string of TV dramas and comedies in the 1980s, including The Bill, returned to acting in 2011 after taking a break to raise a family.

She appeared in a number of theatre, TV and film roles, including the gangster movie My Month With Mrs Potter in 2016 and A Room Full of Memories which was shown at the Cannes Film Festival 2015.

Hertfordshire Coroner’s Court heard last week, on Wednesday, how Mrs Hayward, of Northwood, Middlesex, was spotted ‘walking briskly’ towards a set of traffic lights before crossing the road after ‘looking the wrong way’.

Witnesses said she was ‘not looking at the bus’ when it turned a corner – and had crossed the road when it was a green light for traffic.

Hertfordshire Coroner’s Court heard last week, on Wednesday, how Mrs Hayward, of Northwood, Middlesex, was spotted ‘walking briskly’ towards a set of traffic lights before crossing the road after ‘looking the wrong way’

The court heard how bus driver Gavyn Young was only travelling at 5mph when he hit Mrs Hayward and that his view of her crossing the road would have been obstructed as he made the turn.

The coroner also heard how CCTV showed Mrs Hayward looking to her left, when the bus was coming from her right.

Bus passengers shouted at the driver to stop after ‘hearing a thud’ when the bus struck Mrs Hayward, who died of multiple injuries, the court heard.

Coroner Geoffrey Sullivan said: ‘She walked out into the road and was sadly struck by the bus. It seems she stepped out without looking and was struck.

‘The bus driver was travelling at 5mph at the time which seemed more than appropriate for a large vehicle like a bus.

‘The evidence provided by him states he was driving along the High Street when the lights at the junction turned green and the bus drove wide in order to negotiate the turn.

‘He saw a female waiting. She was standing stationary at the lights which turned green and he completed the manoeuvre.

‘He then heard a loud thump and was made aware by passengers who immediately called for him to stop.

‘He immediately got off the bus and found Ms Hayward underneath.’

Mr Sullivan recorded Jane’s death as death by road traffic collision.