A FIREFIGHTER knocked down a pensioner on his way to an emergency call after ignoring no entry signs and driving through a busy pedestrianised high street, a court heard yesterday.

Mark McGuiness was found guilty of careless driving when he appeared at Sedgefield Magistrates' Court, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, yesterday.

The 30-year-old retained firefighter, from Flora Street, Spennymoor, had been on his way to the town's fire station in response to his emergency bleeper.

Thomas Woodward told magistrates he had almost crossed the road in High Street, Spennymoor, when he saw a red flash, which he was later told was McGuiness's red Vauxhall Cavalier.

Mr Woodward, 66, was badly injured and taken to the University Hospital in Durham by ambulance after the accident, in April last year.

He needed 12 stitches for a head wound, had two fractures to his pelvis, a broken thumb and a knee injury.

He was in hospital for 12 days and continues to receive physiotherapy.

McGuiness, who pleaded not guilty to careless driving and denied driving too fast, told the court he had manouvered around Mr Woodward to avoid a collision.

He said the pensioner was startled, and had panicked and stepped back into the path of his car.

"If he had carried on walking there was enough room for me to get past," he said.

"In my opinion, I did every thing I could to avoid him. I have had nightmares about this. I am in the business of helping people and the last thing I wanted to do was hurt somebody."

At a previous hearing, McGuiness pleaded guilty to ignoring a no entry sign but no penalty was imposed.

He said firefighters in the town had often used the High Street as a short cut to the station in a bid to make response times quicker. Since the accident, that had stopped.

He was fined £120 for careless driving and £60 for having a defective rear tyre, and ordered to pay £150 costs. His licence was endorsed with nine penalty points.

A spokesman for Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service said: "We are awaiting confirmation of the results of the court case from the station commander who attended court this morning.

"We will be reviewing the outcome through internal review procedures."