On the 20th anniversary of the tragedy that shocked Scotland, family and friends gathered to remember those who died at their memorial garden in Camstradden Primary School, Drumchapel, last Thursday.

The bus load of Girl Guides and leaders were on their way back from a day trip to Butlins when the double decker bus collided with a bridge in West Street, Glasgow, on September 18, 1994.

The five killed in the crash were Girl Guides Catherine McKnight and Margaret-Anne Riddick, both aged 10, Laura Cullen, 11, as well as guide leaders Mary McGreskin and Rena Dougall.

Two decades on, the devastated families still cannot get over the pain of losing their loved ones.

Catherine’s mother Joan McKnight, 58, of Drumchapel, said: “We can still remember it like it was yesterday. The families are all close — the families have grown together.

“The girls would all be between 30 and 31 now. They say time is a great healer — but we think about how they would have been, what they would be like. The Guide leaders would likely all have grandchildren now.

“Sadly they’re not here to see their own family grow.” Linda McGreskin, 35, also from Drumchapel, was 15 years old at the time her mum Mary, 39, was killed.

“It’s been horrific — I’m still heartbroken,” she told The Post.

“It feels like it happened just yesterday. Every day is like yesterday, rather than 20 years ago.

“It doesn’t get any easier. I’m still angry at the way it happened. There’s still a lot of hurt and anger.” Linda revealed how her mother wasn’t actually going to go on the trip because she felt ill.

“She always put others before her,” she said. “Unfortunately, putting people in front of herself was her downfall that day.

“I have two girls now and my sister has three boys. She only ever got to meet James when he was under a year old.” Linda told how she works for a funeral directors to assist others through bereavement.

She added: “I always felt it was a calling after the crash — to help people through their time of grief because I understand what they’re going through.” In March 1995, the bus driver Campbell Devlin was cleared of dangerous driving by a jury at Glasgow Sheriff Court. Aged 30 at the time, he was found guilty of the lesser charge of careless driving — which sparked outrage among relatives.

The court heard how the double decker bus approached two bridges 12 metres apart in West Street.

Devlin got safely under the first and higher bridge, but his bus — 13ft 6in high — struck the second, which was 10ft 6in high.

Along with the three young Guides and two Guide leaders who died, 15 other guides were injured.

The driver broke down several times throughout the court hearing and told how he did not see any warning signs for the second of two bridges he passed under, so did not brake.