A YOUNG girl was seriously injured after being dragged under the wheel of a car in a road accident.

Seven-year-old Kirsty Richards-Bird suffered serious head injuries after being knocked down while crossing a road just yards from her front door.

Her friend, Lindsay Geoffrey, 10, who was walking home with her from school was also hit by the Toyota Corolla car and suffered head injuries and cuts to her face.

The accident happened at 3.45pm yesterday shortly after the girls had left Lord Street Primary School, Colne.

Police said the girls were crossing Linden Road when they walked into the path of the Toyota, being driven by 34-year-old Abdul Majid, of Coleridge Close, Colne. Mr Majid escaped unhurt.

A police spokesman said: "Both girls were thrown on to the bonnet of the car.

"Kirsty fell under the front of the wheel and was dragged along the road for a short distance until the vehicle came to a halt. Lindsay was thrown clear of the car."

Both girls were taken to Burnley General Hospital where today staff said Lindsay, of Blascomay Square, Colne, was in a "comfortable" condition. Kirsty, of Brown Street East, Colne, was also said to be "comfortable" at the hospital.

One of Kirsty's neighbours said the car involved in the accident was a taxi. She said Kirsty and her parents, Kath and Dave, had moved to the area two years ago from London.

Lindsay's mum works at the Cheap and Cheerful discount store in Colne town centre. Both sets of parents were at their children's bedsides today.

Stuart Jackson, head teacher at Lord Street, told pupils about the accident during an assembly and repeated warnings to the youngsters about the importance of road safety.

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