A double-decker bus found itself wedged between two buildings on a busy London street after the driver realised he'd gone the wrong way and attempted a three-point turn.

Diversions on the bus' normal route meant it ended up going in the wrong direction, and due to the lack of GPS technology on London buses, the driver decided to retrace the route.

Footage of the incident, which took place on Saturday afternoon (local time) shows the bus blocking off an entire street in central London, with the vehicle's back wheels stuck on the pavement.

At least a dozen of the bus' occupants can be seen outside, trying to push the bus round but to no avail - the wheels simply spinning without gaining any real traction.

The bus did eventually make it back on the road after 10 to 15 minutes, following what passengers have since referred to as a "million-point turn".

The incident has been likened to an iconic scene from Austin Powers: The International Man of Mystery, in which the titular character gets a buggy stuck in a narrow corridor while trying to carry out a three-point turn.