A two-year-old girl was injured this afternoon in Tolworth after the bus she was on braked sharply, according to eye-witnesses.

The girl’s mother took her to Tolworth Recreation Ground for first aiders to treat what were initially thought to be life-threatening injuries.

An air ambulance landed in the car park of the centre at about 3pm but was not used.

A user of Tolworth Recreation Centre, who asked not to be named, said: "I heard a bus broke too hard and a little girl hit her head and wasn't responding.

"I saw loads of police, a couple of ambulances and the air ambulance landed in the car park."

Another witness said: "The mum looked very emotional. How would you feel if it was your daughter?"

A police spokesman confirmed they thought she had life-threatening injuries after she sat non-responsive, asleep in her buggy.

Paul Duffell, the general manager at the recreation centre, said: "We just called for an ambulance and it turned up and dealt with it.

"It was just a good-will gesture because they knew we would help.

"They were really grateful.”

He played down the incident and said the girl soon woke up.

She was taken to Kingston Hospital by a regular road ambulance as a precautionary measure.

A spokeswoman from London Ambulance Service said: "We sent an ambulance crew and an air ambulance and a duty ambulance to the scene.

"We treated a two-year-old girl and she was taken to Kingston Hospital where she was treated for a neck injury."

A police spokesman said the girl was "well".

It is not known what bus was involved, although an empty K1 bus was parked outside a nearby newsagents in Hook Road, off its regular route, for about 20 minutes shortly after the incident.