A WOMAN has been airlifted to hospital after being hit by a bus in Waterfoot this morning.

Witnesses said the 41-year-old was struck a ‘glancing blow’ by the single-decker vehicle on the A681 Bacup Road, just yards from Waterfoot police station.

Around a dozen people were in the vehicle, the 464 from Rochdale to Accrington, when the collision happened at around 9.20am.

The injured woman, who is from Waterfoot, was airlifted to Royal Preston Hospital, where her condition was tonight described as “serious”.

The hospital has a specialist unit to care for people with brain and head injuries.

Police have launched an investigation into the accident and are appealing for witnesses in the area to come forward.

Residents in Sandy Bank Terrace, close to the scene of the accident, have also called for improved safety measures along the ‘lethal’ route in the wake of the collision.

They have previously asked the council to create a crossing as the road, the main route between Rawtenstall and Bacup, because of the large number of vehicles using it.

Alastair Nuttall, operations director for Rossendale Transport, who run the service, said: “It is too early to tell what has happened, but we are assisting the police with their investigation.

“The driver of the bus was very shaken but apart from that he wasn’t injured.”

He added that none of the passengers on the bus had been hurt.

The road was closed for around two hours while the scene was cleared and police gathered evidence.

The 464 service runs between Accrington, Haslingden, Rawtenstall, Waterfoot, Bacup, Whitworth and Rochdale.

Neighbour Ann Riding said: “It is a lethal road. We are always asking for a crossing here or some sort of safety measures.”

Arthur Knight, who also lives nearby, said: “The bus driver told us she just stepped out and there was nothing he could do.

"We gave him a couple of cups of tea so he could calm down.”

Another said the bus had begun to slow down as it approached a stop when the accident happened and the woman “fell backwards out of the path of the bus after receiving a glancing blow”.

The air ambulance could be seen circling the area before landing in a car park beside the Elegant Shoes outlet before taking the woman to hospital.

A Lancashire Police spokesman said: “The area was very busy at the time and we are appealing for witnesses to contact us on 0845 125 3545.”