TWO police officers were hurt after their car crashed into a bungalow while answering a 999 call.

The accident happened at 2.15am on Sunday on Hedgefield Bank, Ryton, near Gateshead, when the Ford Focus patrol vehicle hit the bungalow, causing extensive damage to the kitchen, after the driver lost control.

The occupants, an elderly couple, were in another room at the time and were not hurt, a Northumbria Police spokesman said. The emergency call was answered by other officers.

The men, who are based in the Gateshead command, received hospital treatment for minor injuries and were later released.

The spokesman said: "The circumstances surrounding the collision will now be subject to a comprehensive and thorough investigation.

"As is normal in such incidents, the driving authority of the driver has been suspending pending the investigation.''

He added that the occupants of the bungalow were receiving "continued support and welfare" from the force and other agencies.