TWO people have been hurt after a police car went through a red light as the driver responded to an emergency and collided with another vehicle.

Officers are believed to have been using the emergency blue lights when the collision occurred at the traffic lights by Four Lane Ends, in Middlestone Moor, Spennymoor, just after 3pm on Wednesday.

A police officer and the elderly occupant of the other vehicle were taken to hospital but are not believed to be seriously injured.

Roads Policing Inspector Ed Turner, of Durham police, said: "At around 3.10pm an officer was responding to an incident in the Middlestone Moor area of Spennymoor.

"He lawfully drove through traffic lights at the Clyde Terrace cross-roads with his sirens and blue lights on and unfortunately collided
with a Honda Accord.

"The driver of the car, a 74 year-old man from Spennymoor, sustained minor injuries and was taken to hospital by ambulance as a precaution.

"The officer was also taken to hospital with minor injuries and as a result of the incident, a full investigation is underway by the force's Collision Investigation Unit."

The Whitworth Road, Whitworth Terrace, Durham Road and Clyde Terrace approached to the lights were closed for around an hour after the crash.

Durham police appealed to any witnesses to the collision to call 101 quoting incident 253 of April 26.