Two men were taken to hospital on Saturday evening after an ambulance on its way to Harold Hill was involved in a crash with a car.

The ambulance, which was driving with blue lights and sirens, was in collision with the other vehicle at the junction of Pettits Lane and the A12/Eastern Avenue at 6.37pm on Saturday, March 9.

Two ambulances were sent to the scene, where paramedics treated the 48-year-old ambulance driver for neck and hip pain and the 43-year-old driver of the car for a head injury.

Both were both taken to Queen’s Hospital, Romford.

The ambulance involved belonged to private company X9 but had been called out by the London Ambulance Service to help with the busy period.

An LAS spokesman said the ambulance had been heading for Bridgewater Road, Harold Hill, where a patient had been “taken unwell”. It was called as backup for a paramedic who was already at the address.

She added about one in 20 LAS callouts are answered by private ambulances to free up crews during busy periods.

Eastern Avenue was blocked for about an hour after the crash as fire crews made the area safe.

Were you there? Call the news desk on 020 8477 3903 or e-mail ramzy.alwakeel@archant.co.uk.