An elderly woman has died following a head-on horror crash between an Age UK minibus and a car.

The woman, believed to be in her 80s, was one of four passengers taken to hospital after the crash in Marine Parade, Sheerness, yesterday morning.

All the women were being taken to lunch at the charity's day centre when the minibus was in collision with the car near the former Catamaran Yacht Club.

It is understood the woman, who has not been named, died overnight at Medway Maritime Hospital, Gillingham, after suffering a heart attack.

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

"We were called at 9.52am on Wednesday to a report of a collision involving a black Peugeot and a white minibus in Marine Parade, Sheerness.

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

"South East Coast Ambulance Service also attended and at the time the injuries to all those involved were deemed non-life threatening. However, overnight one of the occupants of the minibus has died.

"Officers are now appealing for anyone with dashcam footage or any witnesses who may have seen the incident to contact the Serious Collision Investigation Unit"

They should call 01622 798538 or email sciu.td@kent.pnn.police.uk quoting reference DB/NR/13/19.

Staff at the centre in Trinity Road were said to be "heartbroken" today.

A fleet of ambulances took five patients to hospital including the woman driver of the Peugeot.

Sharon Holloway, whose 87-year-old mother Gloria Scowen of Minster, was among those on the minibus, said: "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."

Another woman, who did not want to be named, said her mother was also among the injured and had suffered internal bleeding.

She said another woman had undergone emergency surgery on a broken leg.

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

Police closed the road for three hours.

Fire crews had to cut the roof off to free the car driver.