A PARAMEDIC was taken to hospital with whiplash injuries when his ambulance hit an automatic rising bollard as the vehicle sped to a 999 call.

Council officers were today investigating the incident in Stonebow, York, which ambulance chiefs said happened shortly before 6.30pm last night - when the "intelligent" bollard was supposed to be down. The two-strong ambulance crew was on its way to a patient with a bleeding foot in Rufforth when the bollard apparently rose just as the vehicle reached it.

Two more ambulances were dispatched immediately - one to take the injured crew member to York Hospital for treatment, the other to attend to the emergency call.

A Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service spokesman said the incident had caused only a small delay in reaching the Rufforth patient.

He said the service would be working with City of York Council to establish what went wrong.

Peter Evely, head of network management at City of York Council, said today: "We are investigating the matter fully."

The ambulance suffered damage to the front bumper area and the passenger side of the windscreen was smashed in the accident.

Traffic was disrupted for a time as emergency services attended to the accident and council engineers inspected the bollard.

The "intelligent" bollard, which is designed to automatically lower only for authorised vehicles such as ambulances and buses, operates between 8am and 6pm.

The bollard has suffered a number of problems since being installed by the authority at a cost of £60,000 in October 2000 in a bid to stop rat-running through the city centre.

In October, 2000, it was switched off only two weeks after its launch following five accidents involving unauthorised vehicles. It was back in operation on November 20

In December, 2000, a taxi collided with the bollard, causing it to bend

In March, 2001, it was out of action due to a power failure

In May, 2001, the bollard rose beneath a bus full of passengers. No-one was injured

In June, 2001, technical glitches put the bollard out of action

In September, 2001, it was hit by a lorry.

In April, 2002, it was removed for more than a week because of problems with the motor.

In January, 2004, it was out of action for more than a week after being struck by a car.

In September, 2004, the Evening Press revealed that the bollard was lowering when any vehicle approached.

Updated: 10:02 Tuesday, January 25, 2005