A DRIVER was arrested following a high speed crash on Belmont Road.

The three car crash, which happened at about 6.30pm last night close to the Wilton Arms pub, saw one of the vehicles crash into a nearby garden wall, and led to a woman in her 40s being taken to hospital complaining of chest and hip injuries.

However, a police spokesman said the 33-year-old male driver of a white Mazda, which was said to be travelling at a "terrific speed", was later de-arrested and taken to hospital because he was suffering from a panic attack.

The road was said to be closed for about 75 minutes while the incident was being dealt with.

Steve Ingham, one of the drivers involved in the crash, said the Mazda was travelling at about 80mph on the road, when it hit the side of the woman's Toyota Aygo.

Mr Ingham, from Bury, who was driving a Citroen C4, then hit the back of her vehicle after the initial crash causing damage to his car, but he did not need medical help.

The woman was later taken to hospital by paramedics, however Mr Ingham claims that she had to wait for more than an hour for an ambulance, and was left lying on a grassy area at the side of the road waiting for paramedics to arrive.

Mr Ingham, aged 64, said: "The white Mazda was driving at a terrific speed, at least 80mph or 90mph, and lost control. It hit the woman in front of me, a woman in a Toyota, and it hit her passenger door.

"She was lay down on some grass near where the Mazda had gone into the wall, and one of the policeman was helping her because he was a first aider, but it took about an hour and 15 minutes for an ambulance to arrive."

A police spokesman said: "We were called to a three vehicle collision on Belmont Road. One woman, aged in her 40s, was complaining of chest and hip injuries, and one vehicle hit a garden wall.

"The male driver of the Mazda was arrested on suspicion of driving while disqualified, but was later de-arrested and taken to hospital because he was suffering from a panic attack."