TWO men are fighting for their lives after a head-on car smash in Radcliffe.

The pair, aged 33 and 23, both from Radcliffe, were travelling along Radcliffe Moor Road towards the A58 Bury New Road at 8pm on Saturday night when the Peugeot 205 they were travelling in was in collision with a Rover 200.

The force of the crash sent the Peugeot careering across the road and it came to rest on the kerb.

Police, fire and ambulance services were called to the scene by motorists who arrived shortly after the accident had happened. Fire crews worked with paramedics to cut the two men from the mangled wreckage of the car.

Both were taken to Bury's Fairfield Hospital where they were treated initially before being transferred to other hospitals.

The 23-year-old passenger in the car, who suffered "life-threatening" internal and head injuries, was taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital where he is still seriously ill on a ventilator in an intensive care ward.

The 33-year-old driver was transferred from Fairfield to Manchester's Wytheshawe Hospital and underwent surgery on Sunday.

Police described the conditions of both men as "critical but stable".

The driver of the Rover, a 43-year-old woman from Bury, suffered a broken leg in the crash and was taken to Royal Bolton Hospital. She was detained in hospital but was not seriously injured.

Sgt Simon McCabe of the Road Policing Unit, said: "We are appealing for any witnesses to come forward with information."

Sub Officer Mike Barratt, of Whitefield fire station, said: "We worked with paramedics to get the two casualties out of the car as quickly as possible and with as safely as possible.

"Once the casualties were out of the vehicles and the cars were safe, the matter was left to the police and paramedics."

Radcliffe Moor Road was closed for around five hours after the crash while accident investigation teams worked at the scene.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 0161 856 3572 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.