AN elderly couple had a lucky escape when their car ended up in a water-logged ditch beside a North Yorkshire road.

Emergency services were called to the accident at the junction between Bishopdike Road and Long Lane, near Cawood, at about 1.05pm yesterday.

The woman driver is believed to have been turning left from Long Lane on to the B1222 Bishopdike Road when the Corsa car skidded across the road and landed in a deep, water-filled ditch on the other side.

The man was able to climb free from the car, but the woman had to stay inside until fire crews arrived and cut the windscreen from the car to free her.

PC David Taylor said: "If there had been more water in the ditch, we could have been looking at a fatal accident. The road was very slippy and this made for hazardous driving."

Firefighter Ted Lumb, of Tadcaster, told the Evening Press: "The man was sitting on top of the car, but the woman who was driving was stuck inside.

"They were on the other side of the ditch, which was about eight to ten feet wide and full of water."

The couple, who lived locally were taken home by ambulance.

Updated: 09:49 Thursday, December 09, 2004