A 10-year-old girl has been killed and her three sisters were injured after they were struck by a roadsweeping lorry on a pedestrian crossing.

The accident - just six days before Christmas - happened as they were walking to the bank together.

One child is reported to have been dragged along by a lorry for 30 yards

One child is reported to have been dragged along for 30 yards in the accident at 7.30am in Bushbury, near Wolverhampton, West Midlands.

Police named the dead girl as 10-year-old Stephanie Popat. They said her three sisters were aged three, 13 and 19.

The three-year-old, Selina Shaw, is being treated in a Wolverhampton hospital for minor grazes and facial injuries.

Natalie Popat, 13, has a suspected fractured skull and facial injuries.

Marie McCormack, who is believed to have been celebrating her 19th birthday, has head injuries, a broken shoulder and grazes to her face.

Hospital spokesman John Gallagher gives an update on the condition of the injured children

A police spokesman said it appeared the road sweeper failed to stop at the crossing.

The children's mother, Anita Ward, in her 30s, was said to be too distressed to talk and is believed to be at the hospital.

A mother whose son was in the same class as Stephanie at Elston Hall Junior School in Bushbury, said Stephanie was a bright and cheerful young girl.

The mother, who did not want to be named, said: "She was a lovely and friendly little thing who always had a grin on her face.

"We had just been to see her in her Christmas play Cinderella and she was fabulous.

"She was so happy about Christmas coming up and this is a real tragedy."

'Why Stephanie?'

Stephanie's classmates were distraught when teachers broke the tragic news to them.

"Why Stephanie?" one little girl sobbed as she and five others were comforted by teachers.

Classmates at Stephanie's school, Elston Hall, in Bushbury were distraught at the tragic news

A Bushbury resident said the fatal accident occurred at a traffic blackspot.

Linda Shaw, who works near the crash scene, said: "I saw an accident in the same place a couple of weeks ago - the traffic goes so fast.

"It happened on the same zebra crossing, which is always full of children.

"Unless you know the area you don't know there is a crossing and it is not surprising that this poor child has been killed."

Christmas outing tragedy

In a separate road accident, a man died and 12 people were injured when their minibus was hit by an articulated lorry in heavy rain and thick fog.

The minibus, which was returning to Dover, Kent, after a Christmas works outing, was parked at the side of the A2 when the accident happened at 2.40am, police said.

The dead man is believed to be from the Dover area. The injured were taken to the Kent and Canterbury Hospital, where two women are in a serious condition.

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