A MOTHER and her four children escaped serious injury after a school-run accident at Holcombe on Wednesdsay morning.

The youngsters were passengers in a Renault car, driven by their mum Mrs Gillian Wilson, when the vehicle was in collision with an oncoming Seat Ibiza car on a bend in Lumb Carr Road.

Mrs Wilson, and three of her children, Luke, who attends Woodhey High School, and Xavier and Louise, both pupils at Peel Brow Primary School, were pulled from the wreckage by the emergency services and taken to Fairfield General Hospital for treatment to suspected spinal injuries and minor cuts and bruising.

Mrs Wilson's 14-year-old daughter Heidi, also a pupil at Woodhey, suffered a deep cut to her head and had to be cut free from the crushed front passenger side of the Renault. She was placed on a spinal board and taken by paramedics to hospital.

The driver of the red Ibiza also had to be freed from his car. Firefighters cut the roof of the car away to allow paramedics to lift him from the wreckage. The man, who has not yet been identified, suffered whiplash and minor chest injuries.

All the casualties were later discharged from Fairfield after receiving treatment. Bury-based fire station officer Steve Wilcock said: "The crews did a fantastic job of prioritising this incident and cutting the casualties out of the vehicles. It was a fantastic cohesive approach between both the paramedics and the fire service, working together as a team. Everyone is just relieved that we were not dealing with a fatal accident."

Lumb Carr Road was closed to traffic in both directions for several hours.

Traffic police would like to hear from anyone who witnessed the collision, which happened at 8.30am. They can be contacted on (0161) 856 3573/4/5.