A HIGH speed police chase from Lancaster ended up with a man being cut out of his vehicle and taken to hospital yesterday (Wednesday).

Now Lancashire police have launched an inquiry into the use of 'stingers' - tyre puncturing devices - in chases. They used the device on the getaway van before the driver lost control.

Two men in a white Mercedes van refused to stop for police after a burglary at Blue Tubes surf and sports shop on King Street at about 3am.

Police chased the van in six vehicles and a helicopter onto the M6 and down towards junction 32 near Broughton. There they used the stinger.

Still the men didn't stop the van and carried on down to junction 29 near Bamber Bridge. The driver lost control near to the junction and ran the van up an embankment where it overturned. One of the men, the passenger, had to be cut out of the van. He was taken to the Royal Preston Hospital with serious spinal and internal injuries. The other man, not thought to be seriously injured, was taken to a different hospital. He was arrested shortly after the accident.

In the region of £600 worth of property was taken from Blue Tubes shop. The chase took about 20 minutes.

A police spokesman discussed the police tactics in the chase. He said: "The stinger is only deployed after the officers involved have considered the full implications and possible outcome." A senior officer will be appointed to oversee a full accident investigation. The identity of the seriously injured passenger was being with-held yesterday. Both the men were in their 30s. No-one had been charged with the burglary yesterday.

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