A MOTHER today told how her two-year-old son's head was punctured when he was catapulted across a bus like a rag doll.

The bus driver had slammed on the brakes to avoid crashing after a car allegedly pulled out in front.

Today police released a CCTV picture of a man driving a red Vauxhall Corsa they believe could shed light on the incident, which happened as a car turned out of Bridalway into Turnpike, Waterfoot, and into the path of the bus. Police want to speak to this man or anyone with information about the incident, which left passengers injured and shaken.

Christine Heap, 33, of Crabtree Avenue, Waterfoot was returning home on the 482 Rossendale Transport service from a shopping trip to Rawtenstall with daughter Rebecca, 10, and son, Lewis, two, when the accident happened.

She said Lewis was thrown across the bus like a rag doll when the bus driver allegedly had to perform an emergency stop.

"It happened that quickly I did not even see the car. I just noticed that he was screaming and there was blood everywhere.

"I did not know what to do, my daughter was also screaming, it was terrifying, I panicked."

After the mother-of-four calmed down she called her father Dennis O'Neil, 62, who drove the family to Accrington Hospital where the gash above Lewis' eye was treated.

Mrs Heap said Lewis was sat in a seat facing the front of the bus.

"His head was punctured when he hit the hinge of the driver's cabin door," she added.

"When he hit the cabin door that's when he landed and slid to the floor."

Mrs Heap said she had suffered whip lash and was still getting headaches, and Rebecca had slammed against a window in the accident at 2.30pm on Monday, February, 20.

Mrs Heap said she had taken the children shopping to get some time-out. She and husband, Roger, 33, spend their days caring for their son Christopher, nine, who has Down's Syndrome.

PC Neil Goodison, said: "The woman driving the bus has braked really hard to avoid a collision and a kid has been catapulted out of his seat."

He said police wanted to trace the driver of the car who was in the area at the time of the accident. If you were the driver, or if you know the driver, then please give us a call," he added.

Edgar Oldham, managing director of Rossendale Transport, said there had been eight passengers on the bus at the time.

He added: "The bus driver was very shocked because a young child was thumped towards the front of the bus.

"This was a young lady driver and this was her first experience of something like this."

Anyone with information should call police on 01282 425001.