Residents say they have been left "distraught" by a fatal crash that resulted in the death of a four-year-old girl near a junction labelled as a "nightmare" for safety. 

The young girl tragically died after being struck by a minibus in central Reading between 8.15am and 8.30am on Tuesday. 

The incident occurred at the junction of Goldsmid Road and Russell Street. 

Police have said a red Ford Transit minibus hit the four-year-old girl, who was seriously injured and later died in hospital.

The driver stayed at the scene after the girl was hit, and no arrests have been made, according to Thames Valley Police. 

Now residents have expressed their condolences to the girl's family, saying that the community has been left "heartbroken" by the tragedy. 

One resident of Goldsmid Road, who has lived in the area for 30 years and asked not to be named, said: "I am devastated.

"I have a granddaughter that age.

"I worry that we are numb to these sort of events - it's a phenomenally tragic event."

"We are all heart-broken," said one member of the Lifespring Church in Oxford Road. "Everyone has been very distraught."

Other members of the community reported that they had long-standing concerns about pedestrian safety on and around the junction of Goldsmid Road and Russell Street. 

Maria, who has worked at the Markham Associates dental practice in Oxford Road for 14 years, said: "It's a bad junction because of the parked cars in Russell Street.

"You can't see what's coming - you have to be very cautious when crossing the road.

"It's a busy road and there's a lot of children going to school in the area. It can be a dodgy area because it's very, very busy."

Brian Dew, who has worked at the locksmiths Keerite in Oxford Road for 32 years, said driving conditions could be "diabolical" in the area due to the large number of parked cars. 

He said: "The parking is terrible. And people reverse into roads at stupid angles.

"You have to be so careful turning left into Goldsmid Road from Russell Street. It's a nightmare."

Detective Inspector Justin Thomas from Thames Valley Police is leading the investigation into the incident and appealed for any witnesses to come forward. 

Det Insp Thomas said: "An investigation is underway and I am appealing to anybody who was in the local area at the time of the collision to check any dash-cam footage in case it has captured something that may help the investigation."

The girl's family are being supported by the force's specially trained officers. 

Det Insp Thomas added: "My thoughts are with the family and everyone affected."