THREE people have been taken to hospital after a car collided into the front of a betting shop.

At around 4.40pm yesterday afternoon (Tuesday) a blue Ford Focus hatchback hit the Betfred shop on Higher Parr Street.

Police and the fire service attended the scene after the crash along with three ambulance vehicles and a rapid response team.

Police say the car was being driven by a 78-year-old woman, with an 84-year-old woman also in the car, which was an automatic. 

Four people were injured in total, with three pedestrians taken to hospital.

Police say a 53-year-old man from St Helens sustained bruising to his legs and suffered a whiplash-type injury. 

A 17-year-old girl from Eccleston sustained bruising to her stomach and a 19-year-old man from St Helens suffered whiplash to his neck. 

Both women in the car are believed to have been uninjured, say police.

The fire service spokesman removed the car and ensured the scene was safe and that the property was still structurally sound.

They remained on the scene for more than an hour and a half.