A POLICE officer has undergone two operations after being deliberately run down in the street.

Another man was injured after a Vauxhall Astra was driven deliberately into a total of four people in two separate incidents in the early hours of Tuesday.

The 20-year-old officer suffered a shattered knee cap and was left unconscious and bleeding in Middlesbrough town centre.

He was off-duty at the time of the attack and had served less than one year in the force.

Yesterday, it was revealed he has had two operations at the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough.

Surgeons had to take bone from his hip to help in the reconstruction of his shattered left knee cap.

He underwent further surgery on the leg, which was also fractured.

Last night, his condition was described as comfortable.

Police said both incidents happened near the Jumping Jacks pub and nightclub, in Corporation Road, at about 2.30am.

In the first, two men were run down, one suffering a broken wrist, after an altercation with the driver and his two passengers.

The officer witnessed the incident and went to talk to the motorist, only for the car to speed off. Moments later, it turned round and drove straight at the officer, hitting him and his friend, who was not badly hurt.

Detective Sergeant Keith Dee is leading the hunt for the car's occupants. He said: "The force of the impact was such that the nearside wing mirror on the Astra was torn off and left broken at the scene. There may also have been damage to the front of the vehicle.

"Someone must know this driver and seen that his car has suffered damage. This is a serious incident but it could easily have been a lot worse.

"Even at 2.30am on a Tuesday, this area of Middlesbrough is busy and we want to hear from everyone who was there at about that time."

Det Sgt Dee said they had clear security camera images of the three men, who had earlier been in Jumping Jacks, and said these would be released if they did not give themselves up.

The driver was described as slim, in his early twenties, with gelled, spiky hair, stone washed jeans and a light coloured shirt.

Witnesses, or anyone with information, are asked to call police on (01642) 303126.