TWO women suffered 'life-changing injuries' after being cut free from a car after a police pursuit ended in a collision.

A convertible Mercedes car collided with the corner of a house following a blue-light chase in Stacksteads.

The vehicle hit the stone-built property with its passenger side and it took firefighters more than an hour to cut the two women free.

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Police said shortly after 7pm an officer on patrol in Whitworth Road signalled for a silver Mercedes CLK to stop, but the vehicle sped off at high speed in the direction of New Line.

A 10 minute pursuit followed, officers said.

As the Mercedes reached Plantation Street ‎the driver lost control and the vehicle collided with the corner of a house near to the junction of Booth Road.

Officers have referred the incident to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

The front seat passenger, a 26-year-old woman, suffered serious leg and neck injuries and was taken by ambulance to the Royal Preston Hospital, where she remains in a critical condition.

A second female passenger, aged 34, suffered back injuries, a broken toe and broken ribs. She was taken to Royal Salford Infirmary.

The driver, a 22-year-old man from Bacup, has since been arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Community leaders said the incident was 'alarming'.

Matthew Grimshaw, 46, of Plantation Street, Stacksteads owns the house the vehicle crashed into.

He said: "I was upstairs when I heard a police siren, a great skidding sound and then a big bang.

"When I got downstairs there were police everywhere and the car was a real mess.

"It had hit the corner of my house on the passenger side with the door caught against the wall. It was wrecked.

"I was told to stay inside while the firefighters cut the two women free.

"It looked so bad I thought one of them might have died.

"They looked really badly injured.

"Luckily the house was really solid so there wasn't more damage.

"There are a lot of police chases around here."

Neighbour Debbie King, who lives across the street on Booth Road, said: "I saw the aftermath.

"It was a real mess. The women looked very badly injured."

A police spokesman said yesterday: "A car has collided with a wall following a police pursuit in Stacksteads on Saturday.

"As the Mercedes reached Plantation Street ‎it collided with a wall.

"The two female passengers suffered life-changing but not life-threatening injuries.

"A 22-year-old man from Bacup has since been arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and he remains in police custody.

"The incident has now been referred to the IPCC and an independent investigation will be carried out."

Cllr Oakes said: "It is alarming that people drive recklessly and don't stop for the police.

"This was as serious accident during an ordinary evening, not the middle of the night.

"It is just 50 yards from Holy Trinity Primary School so it could have been much worse."

County Cllr Jimmy Eaton, who represents Stacksteads at County Hall, said: “I am alarmed and concerned about this.

“There are too many people speeding and driving dangerously around Bacup and Stacksteads.”