A POLICEMAN who was on an emergency call to the aid of a female colleague who was being attacked is today still fighting for his life after his car left the road and smashed into a hedge.

The family of PC John Turner-Bone, including his wife, Mel, also a Hampshire police officer, are keeping a bedside vigil at Southampton general Hospital awaiting the results of a scan which should give a fuller extent of his injuries.

The 31-year-old officer, who has been in the force for eight years, was responding to an urgent call for help. He sustained serious head, chest and stomach injuries.

A close family member said John had undergone surgery to remove a blood clot to his brain but remained unconscious after the crash.

Last night, a family spokesman said: "We have been very touched by the messages we have been getting, not just from John's colleagues and friends but from members of the public.

"Lots of people have been phoning up the intensive care unit after hearing what happened, which shows just how popular a person John is.

"Mel is obviously extremely upset and is going through the process of coming to terms with what has happened.''

It was understood John's mother, brother and sister had travelled to Southampton from Hull to be at his bedside.

Relatives said he had transferred to Lymington just over a year ago, where he had been working as an area car driver. He had previously been based in Southampton.

Mel, a detective constable, had recently transferred from Bitterne CID to the force's child protection unit at Netley.

At the time of the crash on Friday, John had been driving from Lymington to Lyndhurst to help a female colleague who had radioed for urgent assistance.

Last night the woman officer spoke about her shock at hearing John had been severely injured as he raced to the scene.

PC Lindsay Sutton, based at Totton, described how she had been called to the Meridian Medina garage in Lyndhurst High Street, following reports of a man threatening staff.

When she arrived at the scene, she tried to speak to the man, who had been accompanied by a large dog, but he made further threats to the shop assistant and became agitated.

A struggle followed in which the officer tried to arrest the man but he knocked her handcuffs away. She radioed for urgent assistance after using CS spray to no effect.

After again using the spray, she was eventually able to replace the handcuffs on the man with the aid of a member of staff, and was helped in restraining the man by a member of the public until police back-up arrived.

Last night PC Sutton said it was only after making the arrest that she learned one of her colleagues had been involved in a car crash on his way to help her.

"I am devastated by the fact that my colleague has been badly injured coming to my assistance,''she said.

"My thoughts are with John, his wife and their family and friends at this time. I wish John a speedy recovery''

There were no other vehicles involved in the accident, in which his high-powered patrol car careered off the busy A337 south of Brockenhurst.

Anyone with information should contact Sgt Chris Sweeney or PC Nick Saunders at Lyndhurst traffic police on 0845 045 4545.