A bus carrying 45 pupils from Liskeard School and Community College was involved in a collision in New Road on Wednesday with a Royal Navy lorry transporting 'low level explosives' to Plymouth.
The four ton box lorry was travelling from RNAS Culdrose to the munitions base at Ernesettle, with flares and other pyrotechnics on board.
The lorry collided with the K T and M Baker school bus at New Road, near Clifton Terrace, at around 3.50pm. The road was blocked for about three hours.
Nobody on the school bus was hurt but the lorry driver was taken to Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, for treatment to facial cuts. He was later released after treatment.
The 21-year-old driver of the bus, Phil Yeabsley, was taking the students home to the St Neot area.
Now the Ministry of Defence is to be asked to explain why the lorry was travelling through Liskeard.
Annoyed
Mike Gillbard, county councillor for the Liskeard area, said: 'I am very annoyed that they came through the town. Why would they need to come through Liskeard when they could have just stayed on the bypass?
'The potential seriousness of the accident is dramatic and I shall be contacting the MOD to ask a lot of questions.
'With the Liskeard transportation study, we have been trying to make any vehicles that do not need to come into the town stay away, and for an MOD truck to come through is a major public concern.'
Damaged
Co-owner of the bus company, Tim Baker, said: 'Our vehicle was damaged quite badly. it has already been taken to the garage for repairs but the lorry cab was absolutely flattened.
'It had to be a write off. It's surprising, even for us, how strong the buses are.
'However, the most important thing is that no-one on the bus was hurt. All our buses have seatbelts and we always ask people to use them so they must have been in use as no-one was hurt and the impact was forceful.'
The explosives were certified safe at the scene by qualified Royal Naval personnel and were removed to another vehicle to continue the journey to Plymouth.
The students were taken home by another K T and M Baker bus after the accident and several parents have contacted the company to thank them for their swift action in looking after the students and getting them home safely and quickly. The lorry was driven by a Royal Naval civilian driver from the base in Plymouth and was escorted by a representative from the defence munitions base in Plymouth.
A Royal Navy spokesperson said: 'I am unable to confirm why the lorry diverted through Liskeard at this time.'
New Road was closed to traffic until 7pm and Police and the Royal Navy say there was no danger to the public at any time.