A MAN was thrown out of his van in Bury after a carjacker stole it while he was still in the back.

The van was stolen in Haslingden at 10am this morning. After stopping briefly in Nuttall Road, Ramsbottom to argue with the owner, the thief set off again with him still on board.

As he sped down Walmersley Road, Bury, the speed of the vehicle threw the van owner out of the back of the vehicle and into the road.

Police then spotted the van in Bury, chasing it down the M66, through the Pilsworth Industrial Estate, back onto the motorway and into Heywood town centre.

Here the offender stopped and reversed backwards, ramming a police BMW X5 traffic vehicle and causing it to overturn.

The two officers inside the flipped police car escaped with minor injuries.

As the van sped off again it crashed into cars belonging to members of the public several times before the thief reversed it into a second police car.

At this point the road chase ended, but the police helicopter tracked the van’s direction and relayed this to police.

Reaching Tweedale Street in Rochdale, the driver attempted to flee on foot. A 25-year-old man was arrested on nearby Kay Street on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving, drink driving and assault just before 11am.

Twitter account @onlyinheywood captured an image of the overturned police car in Heywood.

In a tweet, GMP Ramsbottom officers said: “Thank you for all the calls regarding the stolen van, the offender has now been detained and the man seen hanging to the back is safe!”