A family-of-five escaped with their lives after a horrific road smash left a woman with head injuries in one of Kensington and Chelsea's busiest roads.

Three children, the youngest aged just three, were among the passengers in a black Toyota which was in collision with a blue Vauxhall Astra at the centre of West Cromwell Road on Monday afternoon.

The two cars, one carrying two little girls and a boy - aged eight, 10 and three, collided while crossing the junction with Warwick Road, by Earl's Court

Tesco, at about 2pm. They both spun out of control and one smashed into a nearby traffic light - which was nearly levelled by the force of the impact.

Emergency services swarmed on the debris-strewn scene.

Children sat in the road and one little girl lay on the ground while being looking after by London Ambulance staff.

Another woman, suffering head injuries, was cut out of the back seat of the Toyota by the fire brigade before going to hospital.

The woman, who bore the brunt of the impact, is still being treated at Charing Cross Hospital in Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith.

More casualties were taken from the scene to Chelsea and Westminster in Fulham Road, Chelsea. Medical examinations have revealed none of the injuries to be life threatening.

The accident is being investigated by specialist police.

Detective Superintendent Mark Hine, of the Collision Investigation Unit, said: "It could have been a lot worse.

"Normally there are a lot of pedestrians at the crossing.

"If there had been people there one of the cars could have picked up pedestrians on its way."

If you saw anything call the Collision Investigation Unit on 020 7321 9955.