A biker and his pillion passenger were seriously injured when their motorcycle smashed head-on into a car.

The accident happened in Appledore Road, Tenterden, at 3.40pm yesterday.

The motorcyclist was flown to King’s College Hospital in London by the Kent air ambulance with head, neck, abdomen and leg injuries.

Susan Mathews, who stopped to help the casualties, said: “He was in a lot of pain and was slipping in and out of consciousness.

“He knew he had broken his leg – he is lucky to be alive.”

Mrs Mathews, of Kingsnorth, Ashford, was with her daughter Kira, 15, a pupil at Homewood School, Tenterden, and stayed with the man until paramedics arrived.

The pillion passenger, a woman, was thrown over the car and suffered arm and ankle injuries.

She was also taken to King’s College Hospital by road ambulance.

Three people in the car, the woman driver and children aged 17 and 14, were treated at the scene by paramedics and two of them were taken to the William Harvey Hospital, Ashford, by ambulance.

The road was closed until 9.15pm.