SIX people were injured and  one elderly woman airlifted to hospital after a five-car smash in Ainsdale, Southport.

Emergency services were  called to the scene, at the  junction between the Coastal Road and Pinfold Lane near Pontin’s, at just  after 11am today.

A Vauxhall Astra private hire taxi with two elderly  passengers had crashed into a  silver Vauxhall Corsa with a family-of-four inside.

Three other cars – a black  Ford Focus, blue Ford Fiesta and silver Peugeot 207 – were then caught up in the smash.

Two women in their 80s had to be cut out of the taxi by fire  crews who spent an hour and a half at the scene.

One was airlifted to Preston  Hospital,  though her injuries  are not thought to be life  threatening. The other was  taken by ambulance to  Southport Hospital with a suspected fractured wrist. The family in the Corsa – a  26-year-old woman, a  27-year-old man, a girl,  10,  and a  boy, four – suffered bruising,  grazes and whiplash  and were  taken to Ormskirk Hospital.

The Coastal Road was blocked off at Pontin’s by police, and re-opened at around 3pm.