THREE pedestrians walking on a pavement were injured when they were struck by part of a camper van as it sped past them.

An elderly woman was knocked to the ground and two others were hit from behind as a Fiat Ducato caravan drove up Commercial Road in Bournemouth on Friday night.

Witnesses said part of the camper van, thought to be a hatch which opens up when stationary, was not secured and was swinging from the side of the vehicle.

Jason Alford said he and family members had just left the Brewhouse and Kitchen pub when they saw the vehicle coming up the hill from the direction of Bournemouth town centre.

“We could see the panel swinging out from the van and it was heading straight for an elderly woman.

“My wife managed to grab her and pull her to the ground just before it would have hit her.

“We managed to avoid it but it hit a group of young men, knocking them over.”

Mr Alford said the van continued for a short distance before the panel collided with a street sign and came to a halt.

He added: “I ran up the road because I thought he was going to drive away. He got out of the van and he was laughing at first - I don’t think he realised people had been hurt.”

Mr Alford, who was visiting Bournemouth from Trowbridge in Wiltshire, added: “The police turned up and they were talking to the driver.”

A spokesman for Dorset Police said: “I can confirm that there was a single vehicle road traffic collision in Commercial Road at 9.15pm on Friday.

“There were three pedestrian casualties and there were no arrests.”