A WOMAN police officer is still in a serious condition in hospital today after her patrol car was involved in a crash while responding to an emergency call.

It took firefighters more than an hour to cut 30-year-old PC Nina Whitehead from the vehicle after it collided with a white van in Bromley.

She is receiving breathing assistance via a ventilator following surgery. Her injuries include a broken pelvis in three places, broken leg in three places, fractured shoulder, broken ribs and a punctured lung.

Her condition has been described by a spokesman at the Princess Royal University Hospital, Farnborough, as "stable".

A male officer in the patrol car, PC Chris Taylor, 29, was taken to the same hospital with broken ribs and a punctured lung. He is conscious and also described as "stable".

The officers were on their way to a separate accident in Chislehurst when the crash happened yesterday at the junction of Heathfield Road and Westerham Road, Keston, at about 7.40am.

The driver of the white van suffered minor injuries but was taken to hospital as a precaution.

The two officers were responding to an accident in Prince Imperial Road, Chislehurst, in which two cars collided with a JCB digger, causing minor injuries to the passengers.

Anyone who witnessed either collision is asked to call the Met's traffic collision investigation unit on 0208 284 5909/25.

Firefighters had to free PC Nina Whitehead from the patrol car. Picture: JAMIE GRAY