A MAN was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries after a traffic collision.

Two cars collided on the B6278, around two miles from Barnard Castle, at around 4.20pm on Wednesday evening.

Police were called to the scene and requested support from the fire brigade and air and land ambulances.

Two retained fire and rescue crews from Barnard Castle and one from Middleton-in-Teesdale were supported by an experience duty officer and the special rescue unit from Bishop Auckland.

They used specialist equipment to cut the male occupant of a Honda vehicle free. He was then airlifted to The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough with leg, shoulder and eye injuries.

A woman from the other car, a Peugeot, was transported by the North East Ambulance Service to Darlington Memorial Hospital, her injuries are said to be less serious.

Group manager Robin Turnbull, of County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, said the cause of the collision had yet to be determined but urged motorists to take care on the region's roads which could still be hazardous due to recent bad weather.

A spokesperson for Durham police said: "We were called to reports of a two vehicle collision on the B6278 between Eggleston and Barnard Castle at 4.20pm yesterday.

"A silver Honda Civic and black Peugeot 2008 travelling in opposite directions collided on a sharp right bend.

"A 25-year-old man was freed by firefighters from the Honda before being taken to hospital with a serious leg injury.

"A 37-year-old woman in the second vehicle suffered minor injuries."