A newborn baby was fighting for life today after the ambulance he was travelling in collided with a police car.

The three-day-old boy is critically ill in hospital with a fractured skull and internal bleeding.

The ambulance was taking the baby, who was suffering from a heart condition, from Eastbourne District General Hospital to a specialist hospital in London early today.

His parents, who were following close behind, are from the Eastbourne area and are now by his side in King's College Hospital.

Police were responding to a vehicle pursuit call in south London with blue lights flashing when the smash happened at 3.35am. The ambulance driver had to be cut free from the wreckage after the emergency vehicle overturned. He was also taken to King's College Hospital.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "The ambulance, which was taking a baby boy, believed to be seriously ill, to hospital overturned.

"The ambulance driver was cut free. He has been taken to hospital where his condition is described as serious but stable. Two medical staff in the rear of the ambulance did not require hospital treatment.

"Neither of the two officers in the police car, the male driver and female passenger, required hospital treatment."

The incident will be investigated by the Collision Investigation Unit, based at Hampton, London.

A statement from London Ambulance Service said: "The London Ambulance Service was called to an accident involving an ambulance and a police car.

"The ambulance had overturned and the driver was trapped. A medical team had been in the back of the ambulance with a three-day-old baby.

"The London Ambulance service dispatched a fast response unit, three ambulances, and three officers to the scene, the first ambulance arriving in two minutes.

"The baby, who had sustained a fractured skull, was administered oxygen and drugs before being conveyed to King's College Hospital on a priority call accompanied by the medical team.

"The adult male driver of the ambulance, who was trapped for 40 minutes, sustained multiple injuries and was unconscious. He was administered oxygen and drugs, a neck collar was fitted and he was put on a spinal board before being taken on a priority call to King's College Hospital."