A POLICE car was damaged and officer injured when it was rammed by a stolen car.

Officers were pursuing a black BMW 2-Series in Boundary Drive, Bradley Fold, early yesterday morning when it rammed their car.

An officer suffered whiplash in the incident.

Two men in the BMW, believed to be wearing balaclavas, were spotted by the officers in Bradley Lane.

After police started following the car, one of the men threw a brick at the patrol car before the driver reversed into it.

After ramming the police car, the men abandoned their car and ran into a wooded area near the road.

A man was later arrested for burglary, and the ramming incident is being treated as an assault.

Detective Inspector Jonathan Kelly said officers were on patrol in the area and became suspicious when they saw that the men in the car had their faces concealed.

He said: “The traffic patrol officers got behind the BMW which had false licence plates, so they did not initially realise it was stolen.

“They followed the car when one of the occupants threw a brick at the police car. They continued to follow the car and it reversed into them causing extensive damage.

“The two men then ran off.”

The home of resident Richard Smith, aged 45, was left with a broken garden fence, and a parked car was damaged by the BMW when it was abandoned by the driver in the street.

He said: “I heard a commotion but I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming or not so I thought nothing of it.
“It wasn’t until the police knocked on my door at about 1.30am that I knew something had happened.”

Next-door neighbour Carol Holden added: “My husband heard something so he looked out of the window and saw a police helicopter circling.
“He said he saw police cars, too, but then 15 minutes later it went quiet.”

After the men made a run for it a police helicopter and officers went in search of the suspects. A police dog tracked down a man hidden in a garden 300 yards from the scene.

It is believed that the car was stolen during a burglary in Didsbury 11 days ago. An original licence plate was found in the boot. It was carrying the false licence plates, HX16 MFE.

Anyone with information can call 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.