POLICE are today investigating an accident which left a pedestrian in hospital with serious injuries.The road between Shotley village and Shotley Gate was closed during the early hours of Monday morning after the accident at 1.40am.

POLICE were today investigating an accident which left a pedestrian in hospital with serious injuries.

The road between Shotley village and Shotley Gate was closed during the early hours of Monday morning after the accident at 1.40am.

The driver of a green Vauxhall Astra was also taken to Ipswich Hospital, but his injuries are not thought to be as serious as that of the pedestrian.

Police and ambulance officers said the pedestrian's injuries were “potentially life-changing”.

Shotley farmer Michael Packard saw the emergency services arrive at the accident near his home at Over Hall.

He said: “My wife and I saw all these blue lights. We were already awake and there had been no great noise so we thought someone must have had a heart attack or something like that.”

The couple realised something else must have happened as more emergency vehicles arrived.

Mr Packard said: “There were police, a couple of ambulances and a doctor's car that all turned up there. We knew it was quite serious but didn't know what had happened.

“We thought it was odd that there was no noise like an accident. The police were here for a long time, the last police officers did not go away until about 8.30am in the morning.

“I hope the people are all right in the end.”

There were tyre marks on the road, but few other signs of the early morning drama.

Few people faced problems because the road was closed during the middle of the night - although some anglers heading to Shotley Gate for an early-morning fishing trip had problems getting through.