The Police have moved to clear their name after an accident involving one of their vehicles and a private car on Thursday afternoon.

The accident at the junction of Parsons Road and Deepdale Road West in Pembroke resulted in the private car's driver Joanne Simmons being taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital by ambulance.

After she was released, Ms Simmons and other Parsons Road residents blasted Police for their actions before and after the collision.

But on Friday, Police spokesman Sgt. Gary Venning responded to the tongue-lashing which appeared in The Royal Gazette along with a photo that showed that the Police car involved in the accident was carrying yellow warning Driver Under Instruction license plates.

"Thankfully nobody was seriously injured,'' he said. "Despite the markings on the car shown in The Royal Gazette , Driver Under Instruction, the driver was in fact an advanced Police driver who was using the car to respond to a call for assistance by another Police officer.'' The call for assistance had come from the officer who was attempting to arrest a man wanted in connection with a series of break-ins in Somerset, said Sgt.

Venning.

Ms Simmons said the Police car appeared before her as she made the right turn from Deepdale Road West onto Parsons Road. Bystanders said the Police car was speeding and no-one heard its siren.

"The responding vehicle was travelling west along Parsons Road, but unfortunately due to the blind junction from which the private car was emerging, the driver may have been unaware of the approaching vehicle,'' said Sgt. Venning.

And a Police spokesman said on Thursday that the car's emergency equipment was activated.

Ms Simmons also criticised the Police for leaving the scene of the accident after only one of the officers in the car checked on her.

And she said the officer who interviewed her at the hospital was more concerned about his vacation.

But Sgt. Venning said: "Following the accident the two occupants of the Police car attended to the driver in the private car and called for an ambulance.'' He also shot down Parsons Road residents' claims that the area was used as a training course for cars and motorcycles.

"In response to the statement in the newspaper, we would like to assure residents of Parsons Road that Police do not use this section of road for training purposes as a matter of course, but due to the close proximity with Prospect where the traffic units are based, it is inevitable that when leaving or returning to Prospect this road may be used and give such an impression.'' In closing, Sgt. Venning stressed: "Once again we regret that this accident should have happened but would like to put the record straight that Police officers were responding to an emergency situation at the time and every assistance was afforded to the driver of the second vehicle.'' The accident is presently under investigation.