Child and woman fighting for their lives after a school bus crash

A young boy and woman are tonight fighting for their lives in hospital after a double-decker school bus crashed in Cornwall. 

The boy and woman, aged in her 30s, who were in a Vauxhall Astra, suffered life-threatening injuries in the horror smash at 8.40am today on the B3296 Meaver Road in Mullion. 

Four children on the school bus were also injured and were treated for minor injuries. 

One of those seriously injured was airlifted to Plymouth hospital, with the other being taken by land to Royal Cornwall hospital. 

Sgt Phil Brown, of the Devon and Cornwall Police serious collision team, told the BBC: 'We owe the people involved in this collision a full and frank investigation to find out the circumstances.' 

Forensic and drone teams have been called in to piece together what happened in what has been described by police as a 'complex' crash. 

The school bus was carrying pupils from secondary school Mullion School, which is part of the Truro and Penwith Academy Trust.

The trust said: 'We can confirm some students had relatively minor injuries that were treated quickly by first responders.

'The initial response was exceptionally well-supported by the emergency services, and our students are receiving ongoing support from school staff who moved to assist with the scene.'

Insp Tony Hannaford said incidents involving children were often 'more challenging and distressing to deal with'.

Devon and Cornwall Police said it was working closely with the school to make sure that suitable support is in place for the children involved. 

HM Coastguard sent two of its rescue helicopters from St Athan and Newquay, as well as rescue teams from Falmouth, Mullion, and Porthoustock. 

Paramedics from the South Western Ambulance Service and crews from the Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service were also in attendance. 

Mullion fire station said the crash happened between Mullion school and the Parkdean Resorts Lizard point Holiday Park - just one mile away. 

The road is expected to be shut into this evening with any witnesses asked to contact police.