POLICE were called to control a crowd when two warring sisters collided in their cars, a court was told yesterday.

The crash broke the 18-months silence between Deborah Quinn, 39, and her sister, Sharon Mount, 42.

Deborah was later charged with the dangerous driving of a white Ford Escort Cabriolet which left Sharon's B-registered Nissa Almera with a damaged nearside wing, wheel and indicator.

It happened yards from their homes on the same street in Middlesbrough.

Sharon claimed her sister caused the crash by driving on to a grass verge, attempting to overtake her at a junction on the Thorntree estate.

Their other sister, Sonya Peacock, 38, who was Sharon's front-seat passenger, backed her up.

But Deborah said that she was signalling left at a junction when Sharon drew alongside signalling right, but suddenly drove left too.

The impact smashed the driver's door of the Cabriolet, which was to be an 18th birthday present for her daughter, Kelly, who was in the front passenger seat.

Deborah said her normally placid husband, Peter, who was driving behind in a Volkswagon Golf, was furious. He tried to drag Sharon out of her car, but Sharon clawed at his face, Teesside magistrates heard.

PC Timothy Lowe was busy controlling a crowd which gathered to watch, said Robin Turton, prosecuting.

Deborah, who said that it caused her to move from Barrington Crescent, Thorntree, to Pallister Avenue, Brambles Farm, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to using the Cabriolet without insurance on the crash day in January 6. But she denied dangerous driving.

James Watson, defending, said the prosecution's case was partly tainted by the sisters' venomous quarrel. He alleged that Sharon caused the crash because she was being stupid towards her sister.

The magistrates found Deborah not guilty of dangerous driving. They fined her £150 with six penalty points for having no insurance.