A PENSIONER who was injured along with her husband when a police vehicle crashed with their car today criticised a decision not to prosecute the driver.

Margaret Clarkson, 81, spoke out four months after the crash, in Blackburn town centre, as it was revealed her partner of 58 years, South Ribble Conservative councillor Harold, 82, of Beechwood Avenue, Walton-le-Dale, died in the early hours of Wednesday.

The death was from unrelated complications following a bladder operation at Chorley hospital but Margaret said her husband had never been the same since the incident.

The grandfather-of-three broke a hand on February 23 when a police car responding to an emergency drove through a red light at the junction of Ramsgreave Drive and Pleckgate Road Blackburn, and collided with his Ford Fiesta. Margaret also sustained a broken breast bone and a gash to her leg.

Police have now announced that the driver of the car, an East Lancashire officer, will not face criminal or internal proceedings in relation to his conduct.

Mrs Clarkson described her husband of 58 years as "a good, honest man who tried to help people right through his life" and said she would never know whether his injuries from the crash had contributed in any way to his death. Speaking about the crash, she said: "The car seemed to come at us like a bat out of hell and one day I would like to campaign against police cars being able to go through red lights. It's not right if the driver won't be prosecuted. We will never know if what happened contributed to him not recovering from the operation, but it certainly can't have helped.

"At the moment I don't care about the crash. There's too much else to do. Harold was well known and well liked in the community. He fought a lot of battles over the years and so many people have been sending messages."

Chief Superintendent Dave Mallaby, commander of Eastern Division, said: "Since the news that Mr Clarkson has died we have been in contact with his family. This has come as a shock and we send our condolences to them particularly to his wife."

Speaking after the accident, InspectorJulian Platt said: "Like every other vehicle manoeuvre, it is the responsibility of the driver to make sure that the particular movement is safe."

A police spokeswoman has now confirmed that a file of information on the accident was sent to the CPS to see whether any criminal charges would be made in relation to the policeman's driving.

She added: "It has come back from the CPS and there were no offences disclosed, therefore this will not be going any further in relation to criminal proceedings. It is also the case that there will be no internal proceedings."

Asked whether Mr Clarkson's death was related to the accident, Chief Superintendent Mallaby said: "I cannot pre-empt the results of the post mortem examination."

A decision on whether or not to hold an inquest will be taken when the results are known. Arrangements for Mr Clarkson's funeral have not yet been made.