A THREE-year-old girl was hurt and five youngsters in a school minibus were treated for shock after an accident at an unmarked crossroads.

The smash at the junction between Grey Street and Cameron Street, Burnley, involved a Ford Escort and a minibus on contract to the Reading and Language Development Centre, Coal Clough Unit, Swindon Street, Burnley. Katie Stowe, of Honeysuckle Way, Rochdale, was taken to Burnley General Hospital and released after treatment. She was a passenger in the car being driven in Cameron Street by Stephen Moore, of Leamington Avenue, Burnley.

The minibus was being driven along Grey Street by Harry Morris, of Water Street, Earby.

Paramedics gave treatment at the scene to five youngsters from the minibus who were suffering from shock. They were then taken home by ambulance.

Police are to report the lack of road markings at the junction to the highways authority.

Local residents said the give way line in Cameron Street had not been replaced following road surface work carried out last year.

One woman said: "They painted give way lines and three intermittent lines in the centre of the road at the top of Cameron Street but then work stopped. We don't know why.

"We expected them to return and complete the work and we were afraid that in a meantime an accident would happen. Now it has.''

Officers from Burnley Council's engineers' department were today carrying out an investigation.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.