A PENSIONER was in hospital last night after a four-car collision caused chaos on a busy road in Colne.

The man, who suffered suspected spinal injuries, was taken to Royal Preston Hospital after he crashed his silver car into a bus shelter outside the Golden Ball Inn, in Burnley Road, at 3.40pm.

Several police cars, fire engines from Colne and Nelson, and an ambulance were called to the scene as some motorists abandoned their cars to assist those who had collided.

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One of the fire crews, from Colne station, helped cut the roof off the injured man’s car to free him.

Inspector Phil Hutchinson, from Lancashire police, said he believed the other cars had gone into the back of each other after the first car hit the bus shelter.

But that investigations were ongoing.

Craig Turner, who was travelling in front of the car which initially crashed, said: “I didn’t see it but I heard a huge noise. The man who hit the bus shelter couldn’t get out and people were worried for him.

“I’ve never seen so many emergency vehicles.”

The North West Ambulance Service said the injured man was in his 80s and had complained of neck and back pain.

The road remained closed for around two hours after the incident.

No-one else was injured.