THERE were almost 100 accidents involving police vehicles responding to 999 calls in Essex.

The figures, recently released under the Freedom of Information Act, show that in 2006/07 there were 92 collisions.

Although nobody was killed or seriously injured in these crashes, 22 people received less severe injuries.

Of the 43 police forces in England and Wales, Essex had the 14th highest number of collisions.

Its figures were on a par with Merseyside. Last year the force was involved in 88 collisions, involving 27 injuries, four serious injuries and one fatality.

The Metropolitan Police had the highest number, with 2,030 collisions resulting in four deaths, 26 serious injuries and 335 less severe injuries.

An Essex Police spokesman said: "Essex Police thoroughly investigates the circumstances surrounding any collision involving one of its vehicles - from a minor bump to serious injury - to determine the cause and whether any remedial action is necessary.

"We constantly review standards for police drivers and have a long-established driving school, to raise skill levels.

"Our fleet travels over 14 million miles a year and, while the number of incidents is relatively low, we aim to reduce this further."