A THREE-year-old girl escaped serious injury after being knocked down by a car in Ramsbottom.

Police said the youngster is believed to have run into Bolton Street near to the junction with Cross Street before being struck by a Nissan Terrano 4 x 4 shortly before 5pm on Sunday.

The driver, a 24-year-old man from Ramsbottom, was not hurt.

The girl was taken to Bury's Fairfield Hospital with a suspected fractured skull but scans later revealed she was not injured. The toddler was kept in overnight for observation. Bolton Street was closed for more than an hour and traffic was diverted.