A crash in which a woman died and 22 people were injured was caused by a car pulling out in front of a double-decker bus, the bus company has said.

The collision involving the bus and two cars happened near Newport, Isle of Wight, at about 12:45 BST on Sunday.

Four people are in a critical condition, police said.

Bus operator Southern Vectis said it believed its vehicle ended up in the path of the dead woman's car after a crash at a cross-road moments earlier.

General manager Richard Tyldsley said: "Early indications suggest a car pulled out in front of a route seven bus and our driver was unable to avoid it.

"The bus was forced into the path of another car."

The woman, in her 60s, was travelling in a Fiat Bravo along with three other people.

Four people who were in a silver Mini Cooper were taken to hospital as a precaution.

Four air ambulances attended the scene and airlifted four casualties to hospitals in Brighton and Southampton.

St Mary's Hospital in Newport declared a major incident as it treated 15 patients.

In a statement, Hampshire Constabulary added: "The driver of the bus, a man in his 50s, is also said to have sustained a serious injury.

"Ten passengers who were travelling on the bus have also been taken to hospital as a precaution."

Insp Terry Clawson said: "There's four people in a critical condition from those three vehicles. They've been airlifted to hospitals along the south coast."

Five Isle of Wight fire crews were sent to the scene, removing three people from one car as well as freeing the bus driver from his cab.

The A3054 Forest Road was closed for about 11 hours around the crash scene at the Whitehouse Road junction.