An elderly driver has mown down six shoppers and two children after reportedly blacking out and mounting the pavement in England.

A 13-month-old girl and two-year-old boy were thrown from their pushchairs when the VW Polo hit them outside the Friary Shopping Centre in Guildford just after 10.30am.

Eyewitnesses say the car hit a bollard before colliding with the crowd of people.

Other bystanders said it looked like the 92-year-old man had suffered a medical issue and became unconscious at the wheel.

Two victims - including the young girl - were flown by air ambulance to St George's Hospital in Tooting, along with a third who went there in an ambulance. All three are in a serious condition.

A bystander said the baby girl had apparently suffered "very nasty" facial injuries.

She said: "It looked like the poor little mite had been in a pushchair and was thrown out of it when the car hit it".

"I think she must have landed face-first on the pavement and that is why she had such serious injuries".

Others said that there was blood on the windscreen of the Polo car indicating that at least one of the victims had been thrown into the air and landed on the car.

Student Alejanero Mayol said: "The car went on the pavement just in front of the shopping centre. It took out one pole and then crashed into people".

"They were just flung up into the air after the car hit them".

Five people were taken to the Royal Surrey County Hospital at Guildford and to Frimley Park Hospital near Camberley.