Disabled man hurt in record bid

A disabled man has crashed his car while attempting a speed record at a disused airfield in Essex.

The man is said to be in a "serious" condition after being airlifted to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

The man, aged in his 40s, suffered head and arm injuries in the crash at Wethersfield near Braintree.

A spokeswoman for the ambulance service said the man was freed from the wreckage by firefighters on site at the airfield which they use for training.

The crash happened on a "testing track" and was witnessed by a number of people who had come to see the record attempt.

"A man in his 40s suffered serious injuries in a single vehicle crash," said the ambulance service spokeswoman.

"There were a number of people at the scene. Firefighters were called to extricate him and he was airlifted to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. His condition is serious."

Police said the exact nature of the attempt was not known.