POLICE are searching for a man who fled after a car collided with a fire engine dealing with two burning vehicles.

Fire crews were called out at 3.15am on Saturday following two separate reports of cars on fire half-a-mile apart in the Fylingthorpe area, near Whitby.

A spokeswoman said that while firefighters from Robin Hood's Bay and Whitby put the flames out, another car collided with one of the appliances as it was driving off.

"No one was injured when that happened," said the spokeswoman. "The car carried on and was later found abandoned."

Inspector Nigel Slater, of North Yorkshire Police, said the alarm was raised by someone who heard a banging noise and screeching of tyres leaving the area.

He added: "We conducted a search of the area. Two people were found in a vehicle nearby and have been arrested." They have since been released on bail while inquiries continue.

Officers combed moorland using tracker dogs and a helicopter but were last night still searching for a third man who fled the scene.