Police have appealed for witnesses after an elderly woman died and five other people were injured in a Age UK minibus crash.

The vehicle was carrying members of Age UK Sheppey to lunch at its day centre when it was in a head-on collision with a black Peugeot in Marine Parade, Sheerness.

The car's driver, believed to be a mother-of-two, had to be cut free by firefighters and was taken to the same hospital as the minibus passengers.

The minibus driver is believed to have been treated at a minor injury unit.

Sharon Holloway, whose 87-year-old mother Gloria Scowen of Minster, was among those on the minibus, said: "My mum suffered a fractured shoulder and broken ribs and was really badly bruised.

"They were all just going to Age UK for lunch. Mum's been going one day a week for about four or five years. You don't expect something like this to happen."

An elderly woman, thought to be in her 80s, died at Medway Maritime Hospital following what is believed to be a cardiac arrest.

She has not yet been named.

Another woman, who did not want to be identified, said her 80-year-old mother was also among the injured and suffered internal bleeding.

She said: "I spent 13 hours in resuscitation with her and had to watch as doctors and nurses fought to get my mum's internal bleeding under control. Her abdomen extended to the size of a football."

She added: "One woman kept crying out that the car was going too fast. We haven't been able to ask them what happened yet because we don't want to upset them.

"They are all frail and elderly and severely shocked and dazed and still under treatment."

All the passengers were being taken to lunch at the charity's day centre in Trinity Road, Sheerness, when the crash happened near the former Catamaran Yacht Club just before 10am on Wednesday morning .

Another elderly passenger needed an emergency operation on her broken leg.

A police spokesman said: "Officers from our Serious Collision Investigation Unit are appealing for witnesses following the death of an elderly woman in Sheerness.

"Four occupants on board the minibus were taken to a local hospital along with the driver and the driver of the car.

"At the time, the injuries to all those involved were deemed non-life threatening. However, overnight one of the occupants of the minibus died."

Anyone with dashcam footage or who saw what happened should call 01622 798538 or email sciu.td@kent.pnn.police.uk quoting reference DB/NR/13/19.

Both vehicles were written off by the force of the impact.

Police closed the road for three hours. Motorists going into Sheerness from Minster were diverted through Halway.