A woman was taken to hospital after a van and car smashed into each other head-on.

The incident happened down the road from the Hogsmill Tavern at the junction of Barrow Hill Close and Old Malden Lane, Worcester Park, at 4.30pm yesterday.

An Epsom fireman said: "It was a head-on collision resulting in the female driver of the car sustaining neck and back injuries.

"The fire service and paramedics managed to extricate her from the vehicle. We managed to cut certain bits of the doors to make them wider to get her out."

He said the van driver was not injured in the accident.

A South East Coast Ambulance Service spokesman said one ambulance was sent to the accident and that a woman in her 70s was suffering from neck pain.

He said: "She was assessed and treated at the scene.  

"She was fully conscious but taken as a priority to Kingston Hospital.  

"Her injuries were not life-threatening."

Old Malden Lane was closed both ways while police made enquiries.

Last month, a 39-year-old woman died after being hit by a van in Old Malden Lane.