A CHILD was airlifted to hospital today (Jan 25) after a collision with a bus in Winchester.

Paramedics treated the boy after the incident in the High Street this afternoon.

The injuries are not thought to be life threatening and the boy was conscious and responding to questions before being taken to Southampton General Hospital.

The incident has raised safety fears and the city MP Steve Brine and the bus company bus have called for a review of the market location.

The accident happened whena  Stagecoach number 3 bus was moving at low speed along next to the market stalls at around 2pm.

Police Inspector Andy Tester said: “A crash has happened between a 10-year-old boy from the Winchester area and a bus. The child has been taken by air ambulance to the trauma unit at Southampton General Hospital and his mother is with him.

“An investigation is ongoing but no arrests have been made,” he added.

The boy left by Hampshire Air Ambulance at around 3pm from Cathedral Close.

Winchester MP Steve Brine, passed the scene shortly after the crash, said: “I've been concerned for years about the safety of buses coming right into the pedestrian area and I think the introduction of the market on this particular stretch has made it more dangerous.

“As a parent of two young ones myself, I know exactly how hard it is when town is busy to keep them safe. My thoughts are with the family and I just hope and pray the little boy is OK but I think the council has to look urgently at safety in this part of town and that may well mean and end to the market on this most narrow section.”

Stagecoach South managing director Andrew Dyer said this evening: "I agree with Mr Brine. The market stalls are incredibly close to moving vehicles. The bus driver would not have had a chance to see the child, and the child would not have had a chance to see the bus.

"We will be asking the city council to consider whether it is a sensible place to have the stalls. It has got to be time to investigate the subject."

Witnesses said a group of boys were running in the street before the accident happened.

Mark James, 20, a market trader from Bournemouth, said: “These boys were running after each other down by my stall and one just ran into the road. A woman who was with them said “Don’t run,” but as soon as the words came out of her mouth it happened.

“He was flat out cold for a minute but then came round and could move his arms and legs and the paramedics told him he would be alright.”

Diane Wellstead, of Poole, said: “The boy kept saying ‘I want my mum’, and ‘I don’t want to die’. It was really emotional and I was in shock myself. It looked like he was going to be alright which is a real relief.”

Austin Jones, also of Bournemouth, who runs a leather stall with Ms Wellstead, added: “I was serving a customer when I heard a thud and I thought someone had fallen over. I turned around and saw this lad on the floor. But this man stopped and said he was a doctor so it was very lucky he was passing by.”