A WOMAN police traffic officer has been cleared of careless driving after a police pursuit where the drunken driver of a stolen car was crushed by her vehicle in Morecambe.

PC Christine Whitehead, 42, of Scorton, denied driving without due care and attention and was found not guilty after a day-long trial before Blackpool magistrates.

James Mahon, 25, of Lancaster, suffered a fractured pelvis and broken leg when he was trapped between the Mondeo he had taken and Whitehead's police Vauxhall Vectra.

Mahon was later sentenced to 2 months imprisonment after being convicted of the aggravated taking of the Mondeo and being twice over the drink-drive limit.

Mahon told the court he had got out of the Mondeo and gone to the centre of the road, but was unable to cross because of traffic.

He said he was going back towards the Mondeo when the policewoman's vehicle hit him.

Whitehead told magistrates she was based at Lancaster and had been in the force for 15 years.

She had been a traffic officer for two-and-a-half years and was a class one advanced driver.

On September 29 last year, about 11.20pm, she and her colleague in the traffic car received information that a driver suspected of drinking was heading from Hornby to Lancaster.

They spotted the car on Caton Road.

Mahon undertook cars, drove at speeds of up to 80mph and almost collided with a tree and a bollard on Morecambe Road.

As Mahon approached Morecambe Football Club he suddenly braked.

Whitehead said: "I decided to put my vehicle next to the side of his to prevent him opening the driver's door of his vehicle.

"Before his vehicle had come to a stop he just jumped out right in front of me, I was stunned when he suddenly appeared.

A split-second later he would have been unable to open the door.

I stopped immediately, but I had no time whatsoever to avoid him."

Whitehead reversed her vehicle and she and her colleague went to help Mahon.

She added: "I knew he was hurt.

I tried to administer first aid to the lad."

Nick Holroyd, defending, said: "Mahon has painted a picture of the defendant deliberately running her veh8cle into him as he made his way from a stationery vehicle.

That is just not believable.

"My client did not fail to meet the standards of a reasonable competent driver.

She was dealing with someone driving in the most outrageous way and she was trying to prevent damage to the public."

After the case, Lancashire Police Federation representative, Peter Stott, who was present in court, said: "The last 12 months have placed WPC Whitehead under a tremendous amount of pressure - during which time she has continued her duties.

"Her actions on the night in question have been justified in court today.

" She is happy and pleased with the result and looking forward to continuing her duties.