A white van being chased by police ploughed into the front garden of a block of flats tonight, swiping a police van and two cars at the same time.

Some officers ran from Kingston police station to the crash scene at the junction of Surbiton Crescent and Surbiton Road to assist colleagues in finding the driver of the van who ran off.

A person was later arrested near the river after police officers swarmed the area.

The driver of a badly damaged Renault Megane, who was unhurt, said he had been driving back from football towards Kingston along Surbiton Road when he saw the van being chased by police in the opposite direction.

He said it appeared to lose control and slammed into the front garden of a block of flats. His car, a police van and another car were involved in the collision, he said.

He also said officers had told him the van had been connected to a burglary.

Neighbours hung out of windows on the road, which is next to a row of shops, to see the damage.

One girl said the crash was the third in a few days. A person was cut out of a car on Sunday after a shunt. Another car crashed on Saturday, she said.

Did you see the chase? Call the newsdesk on 020 8744 4244, tweet @surreycomet or email newsdesk@surreycomet.co.uk.