A mother and her young son were left injured in the road while motorists drove round them.

Claire Richards tripped and fell while crossing Ashford Road in Tenterden, dragging three-year-old Thomas down with her.

She suffered cuts, grazes and bruises to her legs, arm and hands while Thomas had a grazed head and was crying – but no one stopped to help them.

Mrs Richards, 35, said: “I can understand if people are in a hurry to get somewhere, but the cars just drove round us.

“If I had seen something like that, I would have helped them because that is how I was brought up.

“My son was crying and it seems a shame that no one even called out to see if we were all right.”

"I had a three-year-old with me and I would have thought someone would have stopped to see if we were all right, but no one took any notice..." - Claire Richards

Mrs Richards, her husband Stephen and sons Alfred, seven, and Thomas were on their way to a friend’s wedding at the town hall when the accident happened at around 11.30am on Saturday.

Mrs Richards, whose father Norman Sells was a police officer in High Halden and Tenterden until the town station closed, grew up in the town and went to Homewood School.

“I know the town well,” she said. “We were a bit late for the wedding so Stephen dropped us by The Fairings while he went to park.

“The boys and I jumped out of the car. I waited until the traffic had stopped and then started to cross the Ashford Road.

“As I was part way across I tripped and fell, dragging Thomas down with me as he was holding my hand. Alfred made it across the road OK.

“Luckily there were no cars coming the other way – I would not have crossed if there had been.

“I fell flat, but no traffic stopped. They just carried on round us.

“I had a three-year-old with me and I would have thought someone would have stopped to see if we were all right, but no one took any notice.”

After getting up and making it across the road, Mrs Richards and the boys went to the town hall, where staff gave her and Thomas first aid.

Mrs Richards lives in Minster, Sheppey.

Her family lived in High Halden and St Michael’s from 1974 to 2006.

Her father Mr Sells, also of Minster, Sheppey, who has retired from the police, said: “This proves to me that what was a caring town and community has changed, not for the better.”