A MAN was trapped in his car for two hours after it careered off a bridge into a stream.

Firefighters were called to the crash on the B6313 in Glen Terrace in Chester-le-Street, at about 7pm on Tuesday.

Police said the driver, a 20-year-old man from the Barley Mow area, had lost control of his Suzuki Grand Vitara 4x4.

It crashed through a road barrier and dropped about 20ft, spinning 360 degrees, before landing back on its wheels in a 4ft deep beck, known locally as Stella Gill.

PC Keith Butler, of the accident investigation unit, said: "Fortunately the man was in a Suzuki Vitara, which is a very substantial vehicle, and that has certainly prevented his injuries from being worse."

Fire and rescue crews from High Handenhold fire station, near Stanley, were first on the scene. They cut off the roof and one side of the car to free the driver. Station manager Andy Whitehead said: "The rescue was seriously hampered by the fact that we were working in three or four feet of running water.

"It would have been a lot worse if the vehicle had landed on its roof, rather than its wheels."

The road was closed for two hours. The driver was taken to the University Hospital of North Durham, where he was treated for head and back injuries.