DOCTORS will continue to battle over the next 48 hours to save the leg of a woman who was crushed between two parked cars.

The 45-year-old was standing between the cars when a purple Renault 19 lost control on a bend and mounted the footpath - hitting five vehicles in all.

Residents of the hamlet of Leasingthorne, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham, where the accident happened, are now calling for further road safety measures.

PC Keith Butler of Durham Police, said: "She suffered horrific leg injuries. From the latest report, surgeons have worked through the night and restored the blood supply.

"The lady's condition is serious but not life-threatening. The next 48 hours are crucial for doctors trying to save her leg."

She was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital and later transferred to Middlesbrough General Hospital where she underwent emergency surgery.

A 54-year-old man, also from Bristol, suffered minor injuries in the accident, which happened at 12.35pm on Tuesday.

The couple had been visiting the region to take part in a dog show at Barnard Castle.

A police spokesperson said last night: "Three men ran away from the Renault but were later arrested. The two passengers, a 19-year-old from Shildon and a 24-year-old from Eldon, were released without charge and the driver, a 19-year-old from Shildon, has been released on police bail pending further inquiries.

"How much of a factor speed played in the accident is yet to be determined."

Accident investigation officers will make a detailed examination of the Renault.

People in Leasingthorne, who have campaigned for years for road safety measures within the hamlet's 30 mph zone renewed their calls.

Pensioner Jim Kean said: "It has got worse since the Coundon bypass was built as there is more traffic.

"Traffic calming has been introduced at the top of the village but it hasn't seen an end to the problem."

A spokesperson for highways authority, Durham County Council, said: "Three to five years ago we put in a pinch to narrow the road.

"In the light of this accident we, and the police, will be taking another look at how the traffic uses the road to see whether any further measures are necessary."

Anyone with information is asked to call Durham Police Constabulary's accident investigation unit at headquarters on 0191-386 4929.