A THREE-YEAR-OLD girl was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries after being hit by a car.

The girl suffered head and upper body injuries in the incident which happened in Tweed Street, near to Ewood Park, Blackburn.

The collision, involving a bronze Toyota Auris, happened at around 12.15pm yesterday.

Police confirmed that the girl was conscious and breathing at the scene and the female driver of the Auris was uninjured.

Tweed Street was closed for several hours to allow investigation work to take place.

The North West Air Ambulance landed on a car park off Nuttall Street before flying the girl to Alder Hey Hospital.

Police said the girl was with her mother at the time of the incident, but it is not clear how the collision happened.

Katie Buck, who lives in Bolton Road, said: “I was coming back from walking my dog and the road was shut off and there were policemen everywhere.

“I went to my upstairs window and saw the ambulance land and take off with someone inside. I was told it was a little girl.

“It’s absolutely awful, you just don’t expect that sort of thing to happen pretty much outside your house.

“I’m currently pregnant and I can’t imagine how the parents must feel, it is a horrible incident.

“It’s normally a quiet area apart from the traffic on the main road. These things don’t happen often around here.”

Daniel Richards, an engineer working in Bolton Road, said: “We saw all the police come past and sit on Bolton Road, “There were a couple of officers scattered here and there and then we heard a girl had been involved in a bad accident.”

Danielle Taylor, a Nuttal Street resident, said: “I saw them taking a person towards the helicopter and I had heard it was a child who was involved.

“I thought I could hear them crying as there were no other children around when I heard the noise.

“After that I saw the helicopter go off.”

Cllr Jamie Groves, a ward member for Ewood, said his thoughts were with the girl and her family.

He said: “It is absolutely awful that this incident has occurred.

“We don’t know how it came about yet but there is a lot of traffic in that area and it’s quite tragic.

“I do send my thoughts to the friends and family and hope she makes a speedy recovery.”

A police spokesman last night said: “Police were called at around 12.15pm yesterday following reports of a collision involving a three-year-old girl and a Toyota Auris in Tweed Street, Blackburn.

“The girl was taken to Alder Hey Hospital with head injuries where she remains and her injuries are not thought to be life threatening.

“She was involved in a nasty collision and she is currently in the best place possible. We have our fingers crossed for her.

“Enquiries are on-going to establish the circumstances of the collision and anyone with information can contact police on 101 quoting log 554 of 29th January.”