Girls recovering after being hit by a car outside Liverpool school

Eight girls are recovering from injuries following a crash outside a school in Liverpool.

Six of the casualties aged 11 to 13 suffered mainly broken bones in the incident near Belvedere Academy in the city on Friday afternoon.

A passer-by witnessed the collision involving a yellow Peugeot car at about 3.20pm - with reports that the vehicle mounted a kerb and struck a number of youngsters.

Pupils at the independent girls' secondary school for 11 to 19-year-olds had just finished for the half-term break when the incident happened as buses arrived to collect them.

An 80-year-old woman who was driving the Peugeot stopped at the scene in Belvidere Road and is helping police with their inquiries.

Merseyside Police said the woman was uninjured and had not been arrested.

Five 11 year olds and two 13 year olds were taken to Alder Hey Hospital and a 16-year-old was taken to the Royal Liverpool Hospital.

Among the casualties were an 11-year-old girl with a broken ankle and cuts to the face, a 13-year-old girl with a fractured hip and another 13-year-old who had two broken arms, said police.

Merseyside Police tweeted: "None of the 8 girls injured in Belvidere Rd RTC are in a life-threatening condition. All being treated for either serious or minor injuries."

All roads in the area reopened shortly before 7pm on Friday.

In a statement on Belvedere Academy's website, principal Peter Kennedy said: "Six of our students sustained injuries, some quite serious but not life-threatening. The emergency services were on the scene very quickly and dealt efficiently with the situation.

"All of the injured students have been taken to hospital where they are being treated."