A HIGH-SPEED police chase ended when a patrol car smashed into a restaurant.
Shocked residents saw emergency services swooping into London Road, Leigh, at about 8pm on Sunday night.
Pictures and video from the scene show the police car with heavy damage to its front end, having crashed into the Fortune Garden restaurant.
The crash happened at the end of a police chase involving another vehicle.
A spokesman for Essex Police said: “Two cars, including a police car, were in collision in London Road, Leigh at around 8.10pm on Sunday.
“The police car, which was on blue lights and sirens at the time, was then also in collision with a building.
“The driver of the police car has sustained a broken thumb.”
One resident said: “It happened at roughly about 8pm.
“I heard a car fly past on sirens, then seconds later a huge crunch and bang.
“I looked out of the window and another few seconds later two other police units attended outside Fortune Garden.”
Emergency services were sent to the scene but only the police driver required treatment.
A spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 8.10pm on Sunday with reports of a collision in London Road, Leigh.
“We sent one ambulance to the scene.”
A spokesman for the fire service said: “Firefighters were called to London Road, Leigh at 8.23pm on Sunday night.
“On arrival, crews reported that two vehicles had collided and worked to make the scene safe by 8.36pm.”
Police have appealed for information regarding the crash.
Anyone with information should call Essex Police on 101 quoting incident 1377 of February 9. People can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or submit an anonymous report at crimestoppers-uk.org.
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