[bbfan1991]

Two sisters aged nine and 16 were thrown from a sofa when a Land Rover crashed through the front of a house.

Police said the vehicle smashed into the lounge of the home in Ingoldsby Road, Middlesbrough, on Friday evening pushing the sofa along the floor.

The girls' father, Martin Jacopu, said they were uninjured.

A 25-year-old man was later arrested on suspicion of aggravated vehicle taking. Cleveland Police believe there was another man in the car.

Mr Jacopu said: "They were treated for shock but they are okay. The police told me the car was stolen."

A police spokesman said the house was severely damaged and that the red Freelander vehicle had been reported stolen.