An eight-year-old boy was airlifted to hospital after a van and trailer crushed the car he was travelling in.

A Volkswagen Transporter mounted a bank and tipped over on to the Mazda 323 carrying the boy in Palaw Hatch Lane, Sharpthorne, near East Grinstead, shortly after 10.30am yesterday.

The road was blocked and Adam McKinnon-Brahams, from London, was airlifted to Eastbourne District General Hospital with abdominal pains.

The Transporter driver and a woman and two children from the car, all with minor injuries, were taken to the same hospital by ambulance.

Sue Rushton, whose house is 50 yards from the accident scene, rushed to help. She said: "I heard a loud bang and walked along the road. There were lots of people at the scene. I noticed there was petrol in the road so I thought it best to get the victims out of the way quickly."

They waited in the house until the police helicopter arrived.

Sergeant John Tickner, who flew the boy to Eastbourne, said the crash site was "a mess". He said: "The young boy was causing some concern.

"Luckily his injuries weren't so bad and he was a lot better after a little while in hospital."

Mrs Rushton said this was the second car accident on the stretch of road in the last fortnight.