Mum and baby ‘thrown in air’ as car ploughs into crowd outside Lidl sparking huge police response with driver arrested

A MUM and baby were "thrown in the air"; after a car ploughed into a crowd outside a Lidl, according to witnesses.

Five people have been raced to hospital after a Peugeot smashed into pedestrians in Liverpool at around 12.50pm this afternoon.

They are being checked over as a "precaution" and there are no reports of any serious injuries.

A man in his 50s was detained at the scene near a Lidl branch in the Bootle neighbourhood.

He has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and driving while unfit through drink.

A witness told the : "The mum and her baby have literally been tossed through the air onto a grass verge at the side of the road.

"The mum was screaming about her baby, she was as white as a sheet and the pram is on its side. I've never seen anything like it."

Eyewitnesses told the they saw a pram near to the scene and "Christmas shopping all over the pavement".

Gut wrenching videos of the scene show a silver car crashed into a tree with a pram lying in a grass verge behind a police cordon.

Arriva North West announced it diversions to bus routes in the area due to the "serious" incident.

It said: "Due to a serious police incident at Stanley Rd/Marsh Lane, Bootle, all Bootle services are subject to delays and cancellations.

"Passengers travelling from Queen Square / Sir Thomas St should expect significant delays. Please allow extra time for your journey."

Traffic is being diverted away from the area as several ambulances and fire crews deal with the incident.

More than a dozen officers were also spotted surrounding the car and pram.