An air ambulance helicopter brought traffic to a halt in Hendon as it dramatically came to the rescue of two little girls who had run into the path of a lorry.

The helicopter landed at the junction of Brent Street, Parson Lane and Finchley Lane, and the road was cleared of traffic for around two hours as medics treated sisters Libby and Eliana Sears at the scene. Both required hospital treatment but suffered only minor injuries.

Ramandeep Kandola, who lives in Finchley Lane, saw the collision.

"It was a massive crash, and a little girl had her head hit on the lorry," she said.

"It was her and her little sister, she was probably about three, and she was crying.

"The older one was about five or six and she was just knocked out, her left arm was moving a little bit though, but she just lay there. I think the truck just skidded towards them and then braked. It was just horrible."

A spokesman for Alperton traffic garage, which initially dealt with the accident, said Libby, three, and Eliana, six, were not seriously injured, and they were released from the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead on Friday.

He said the lorry hit the girls at about 3.45pm on Thursday (May 13), in Finchley Lane just after the junction with Brent Street.

He said the little girls, who live in Finchley and were with a baby-sitter, ran into the path of the lorry from the pavement.

Jamie Walters, the driver of the Mercedes lorry, which he was driving for his job with Elite Tiles & Interiors, based in West Hendon Broadway, West Hendon, was suffering from shock after the accident and unable to talk.

Elite Tiles & Interior transport manager John Young came to the scene in support of Mr Walters.

"The two girls just ran under the lorry, and there's nothing you could do to stop them," he said.