Car crashes into Porthcawl nightclub smoking area

Thirteen people have been taken to hospital after a car crashed into a smoking area outside a nightclub.

An Audi A4 hit the area outside Streets nightclub, in John Street, Porthcawl, Bridgend county, at about 01:00.

The injured were aged between 17 and 43, with nine taken to hospital in Bridgend and four to Swansea - most with leg injuries.

A 24-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving and dangerous driving.

An 18-year-old woman is helping South Wales Police with their inquiries. Both have been taken to Bridgend police station.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing a white car being pursued by a police van shortly before the incident.

South Wales Police Insp Steve Trigg could not confirm or deny whether a police car was involved but said "an internal investigation is under way" and the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has been informed.

He added: "It would be inappropriate for me to comment further."

A spokeswoman for the IPCC said: "I can confirm that we received a referral in the early hours of today [Sunday] and we are currently assessing the level of involvement, if any, that the IPCC will have."

It is understood that seven men and six women in total were injured.

Rachel Jones, 17, said her friends were injured in the incident and were undergoing surgery.

"A lot of my friends were out actually, so it's really worrying that I could have been out and it could have been me, or one of my friends could have been killed," she said.

Josh Manly, also 17, said he was "totally shocked" to hear his friends had been hurt.

"One has broken his leg, another woke up and couldn't feel his legs," he explained. "We are just shocked."

The Abertawe Bro Morgannwg health board said three of those injured and taken to the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend have been treated and discharged.

The remaining six people have sustained serious injuries but are in a stable condition.

Those taken to Morriston Hospital in Swansea include two 18-year-old men, a 21-year-old woman, and another woman who is 38.

Two are in a serious but stable condition, while the other two were admitted as a precaution.

Supt Andy Valentine said: "This was declared a major incident by the police and ambulance services. All three emergency services were deployed to the incident and worked seamlessly to provide a fast and efficient response."

Nick Smith, of the Welsh Ambulance Service, confirmed: "The injuries were all to lower limbs with no-one reported in a life-threatening condition."

A spokesman for the health board said additional staff were called in to hospitals to deal with the incident as it unfolded.

"Staff have been excellent, and didn't hesitate to come in. They worked efficiently and in an organised way, and they helped considerably during a difficult situation."