An elderly woman has been left in a critical condition after a serious crash in Blandford yesterday.

The incident happened at around 4.30pm on the A350 at Spetisbury between a silver Audi A6 and a sliver Kia Rio.

The driver of the Kia - a 85 -year-old woman from the Blandford area - was extracted from the vehicle by the fire service. She was taken to Poole hospital with serious injuries. She is in a critical but stable condition.

The driver of the Audi - a 64-year-old man from Poole - sustained minor injuries.

During the time of the collision officers were nearby assisting with traffic control after a double decker bus had broken down. As is mandatory in such circumstances due to the close proximity of officers, Dorset Police has referred the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Police have launched a public appeal to gather more information. 

Inspector Joe Pardey, of the traffic unit, said: "An investigation is underway to establish the full circumstances surrounding the collision and I am appealing to anyone who witnessed what happened or has any relevant dashcam footage to please contact Dorset Police.

"As the incident occurred near to where officers were at the time, the incident passed the threshold of a mandatory referral and we have notified the IOPC."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police at www.dorset.police.uk, via email 101@dorset.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting incident number 21:284. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org.