TWO women were taken to hospital after separate serious road crashes yesterday.

One woman who had been driving a horse box suffered leg injuries after a crash at about noon near Muggleswick, near Consett and was taken to Hexham General Hospital.

Consett firefighter, sub-officer Colin Wheatley attended the scene at Muggleswick just past the turn-off to Derwent Reservoir. He said two wagons had collided. The woman, from the Edmundbyers area, had to be cut free with hydraulic equipment.

Less than an hour later, services were called to a head-on crash involving two women drivers at Iveston off the A691 near Consett. One woman suffered minor injuries, the other was taken to the Unversity Hospital of North Durham with neck and back injuries.