A woman was killed and five people injured in two serious crashes on Norfolk's roads within the space of 48 hours.

Police said a woman aged in her 20s died after her Ford Focus left the road and hit a tree at Scarning on Friday evening.

Last night, five people were taken to hospital after a two-vehicle crash at Yaxham near Dereham.

A woman in her 20s was airlifted to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in a serious condition.

Another woman and three men were taken to the N&N, following the crash on the B1135 Yaxham Road at about 7.30pm when two vehicles, a white Peugeot 205 and a red Skoda Fabia crashed.

Three people in the Peugeot and two people in the Skoda suffered serious injuries.

A spokesman for Norfolk Accident Rescue Service (NARS) said critical care paramedic Ryan Warwick was sent to the scene.

'The patients were assessed and treated with the assistance of ambulance crews and the air ambulance, which arrived later having travelled from Cambridge,' they said.

Officers are keen to speak to anyone who may have witnessed the collision or has information concerning the driving manner of either vehicle prior to the incident.

Police are particularly keen to trace the driver of a car travelling from Dereham towards Yaxham which was overtaken by the Peugeot before the collision happening. This vehicle would have been travelling behind a black Honda Civic and police believe the driver may be an important witness.

Anyone with information should contact PC Louise Manning at Swaffham Roads Policing on 101.

The woman killed on Friday night in Scarning was driving from Dereham towards Wendling when her red Ford Focus hit a tree at about 10.30pm. It happened on Dereham Road, the old A47, with the junction just east of the Hulver Street junction.

The road was closed until 3.50am on Saturday.

Two fire crews from Dereham made the scene safe.

The weekend incidents were the latest serious crashes on Norfolk's roads.

On September 2, a man died after a crash involving an Audi and a Volvo on the A47 near the Hardwick roundabout in King's Lynn.

On September 1, a man died after the van he was driving left the road and crashed into a tree. He was travelling on the King's Lynn-bound carriageway of the A47 at Swaffham.

On August 30, a crash between two cars at Wood Dalling, near Fakenham, resulted in the death of a pensioner.

Also earlier this month, Norfolk police launched its new road casualty reduction team (RCRT) to try to reduce crashes on the county's roads.

One initiative will see proactive patrols at collision hotspots.

•Anyone with information about the latest crashes should call 101 and ask for the serious collision team.