Police officer injured after motorway chase

5:51pm Monday 7th April 2008

A POLICE officer was taken to hospital after a stolen caravan collided with his patrol car during a motorway pursuit.

The high value Fendt caravan jack-knifed and tipped onto its side on the M6 motorway.

The caravan was allegedly stolen from an address in Blackpool by three masked men at around 9pm last night.

Motorway police spotted the caravan being pulled by a Mitsubishi Shogun at Broughton and began to follow it.

Officers were about to deploy a stinger device on the road to puncture the tyres when the vehicle changed lanes, close to the junction with the M61, and toppled onto its side, colliding with a police car.

Police said "a number" of other suspects escaped into other cars, but a 35-year-old man from St Helens, believed to have been driving the Mitsubishi, was arrested.

He is now under police guard in hospital, where he is being kept for observations, though his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

A police spokesman said the sergeant involved in the chase was recovering at home, suffering from shock and minor cuts and bruises.

The south-bound carriag-eway was closed for some time, causing traffic congestion.