A former lighting designer says she thought she was dead and in heaven with two angels when she was hit by a motorbike while crossing a road.

Julia Brown, of Nelson Road, hopes to now move on with her life after she won a £50,000 settlement to fund her recovery from serious head injuries after she was hit by the motorbike.

Ms Brown, 57, only has hazy memories of the accident, which happened when she crossed a road in south London, but remembers thinking she was in heaven.

The mother-of-one said: “I thought I had died.

"All I could see was clouds and I couldn’t feel anything on my body and couldn’t work out why these people knew my name.

“When I was coming out of hospital I suddenly realised something was missing and it was my sense of smell – they did a smell test and I scored zero" - Julia Brown

“I thought I was in heaven with two angels and then the pain didn’t come until I was in hospital and I had a headache which was terrible.”

Ms Brown was crossing the road at Knights Hill near to West Norwood station when a motorbike which was overtaking a bus hit her and she fell to the ground in June 2013.

She was treated at King’s College Hospital in London where she was diagnosed with a fractured skull and stayed in hospital for nearly a week to ensure her condition was stable.

Ms Brown has lost a third of her hearing in her right ear and her sense of smell.

She added: “When I was coming out of hospital I suddenly realised something was missing and it was my sense of smell – they did a smell test and I scored zero.

“The way I look at it is that it could have been worse, I could be dead, and I could have lost my hearing on both sides.

“It also could have been something like my sight.

“Having said that, losing my your sense of smell has affected my taste.

“I miss memories of smell – I miss the smells of my favourite perfumes.”

Ms Brown is now looking forward to starting a architectural interior design degree at the University of Creative Arts in Canterbury this September.

Ms Brown was represented by injury lawyers Irwin Mitchell and is relieved the legal case has now finished.

Laura Murphy, a lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: “Julia suffered a serious head injury as a result of the accident which has left her with permanent injuries significantly affecting her life.

"Her hearing and sense of smell have been severely damaged and this is not something she is able to recover from.

“We are pleased we have secured Julia a settlement to help go towards her continuing treatment and to help her progress throughout her recovery.

“The accident highlights the importance of all drivers taking responsibility for their actions on the roads to ensure the most vulnerable road users are protected from the risk of injuries.”