A MOTHER whose one-year-old daughter was in a three-car accident in Paignton has thanked emergency services and passers-by for their help.

Mum-of-four Julie Macfie-Jones, 37, received a call at 5pm from her husband, 60-year-old John, saying child-minder Beverley Young's Citroen had been in an accident and tiny Mollie was inside.

Julie said: "I was just leaving Exeter University where I am studying when John rang.

"It was a bit of a shock, but I would like to thank all of the passers-by who stopped and helped, particularly the member of staff from Paignton Zoo who came out and helped and the two nurses.

"I also want to say thanks to all of the emergency services who came and helped too."

Mollie was with two other children in the Citroen which was in collision with another car at the junction of Penwill Road and Hayes Road at 4.15pm on Tuesday.

A total of nine people, including the three children, escaped uninjured in the accident which left the Citroen with a badly damaged front and a red Ford Mondeo with damage to its body work.

Police say the other vehicle involved in the accident was a black Volkswagen Passatt.

Four ambulances, a fire crew from Paignton and police attended the scene.

Julie said child-minder Beverley was 'quite shaken up', adding: "As a child-minder she was a star, because she held it all together and we just wanted to say thank you to her."

The seat belt-straps which saved Mollie's life left her with bruising, but mum Julie said: "Apart from that she seems fine. From the impact of the accident the car seats saved all of their lives and if they hadn't been in car seats it would have been a lot worse."