VOLUNTEERS from a furniture help scheme have been hurt and the service has been thrown into turmoil after the van they were in was involved in a collision yesterday.

Firefighters were called to the A167, in Ferryhill, at noon, after a large box van from the County Durham Furniture Help Scheme collided with a second van.

Two men were trapped in the vehicle and a third was able to climb free before firefighters from Newton Aycliffe arrived.

Brian Rochester, 48, from Ferryhill, was taken by air ambulance to The James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough.

Martin Jewkes, 44, and George Mason, 59, both from Newton Aycliffe, were taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital.

All of the men were volunteers for the Chilton-based charity, which refurbishes furniture and household goods for needy families.

They have all been kept in hospital overnight, but their conditions are not thought to be life-threatening.

Chris Palmer, the charity's managing director, said he was stunned by the news.

He said: "The main concern is for the volunteers, it has come as a real shock and we hope they are going to be okay. We are like one big happy family here. They had just gone out to collect some things and I was making the dinner for when they got back when I heard about the crash.

"We went straight to the scene, but obviously we couldn't get too close."

Mr Palmer said the charity was expecting a very busy week, but that the van that was in the crash was their only vehicle.

"I've spent most of the day on the phone telling people that we won't be able to make various pick-ups and collections," said Mr Palmer.

"I shut the workshop early because I don't really know what we are going to do without the van.

"We hope they will be coming back to work, but in the meantime we desperately need volunteers and help with transport."

Anyone who can help, or wishes to volunteer, can call Mr Palmer on 01388-721509.