A RUNAWAY van caught on a webcam nearly mowing down a town centre shopper was a result of a failed handbrake, say police.

Cinderford town council’s webcam showed the vehicle reversing onto a pavement and almost hitting the pedestrian around 4pm on Saturday, July 22.

The camera high on the town’s Triangle filmed the white van reversing from a parking space, rolling across the road and crashing into a lamppost and railings, bringing a hanging basket crashing down.  

Police were handed the terrifying footage and traced the driver, who drove off shortly after the crash, from the number plate.

A Gloucestershire Police spokeswoman said this week: “The driver has been identified. The vehicle had handbrake failure and the matter is being dealt with by insurance companies. No further police action is required.”

The film, which has already been viewed thousands of times, shows the van reversing across the road at the junction of Market and High Street and quickly picking up speed. 

Traffic on the busy road somehow avoids it, and a pedestrian luckily spots the vehicle heading in their direction at speed and jumps clear to avoid serious injury before it smashes into the lamp post and railings near the town’s bus terminal.

The council installed the webcam on the Triangle in March and it gets thousands of hits a month. 

It posted the footage on its Facebook page shortly after the crash and said: “Please can anyone who witnessed this contact our office. Looking at the video we are thankful nobody was hurt.

“Around 4pm Saturday afternoon this van severely damaged the Triangle railings.

“It would be helpful if the driver came forward. 

“We have the registration plate and have passed it to police who are dealing with the matter.”

Cameron Andrés Swaine, who was in a nearby shop at the time of the crash, posted: “I went out to see if anyone was hurt. Apparently he [the driver] had a faulty handbrake. 

“He said he was going to France the next day. I asked him for his name and number and he wouldn’t give it to me.”

Go to the council’s Facebook page to see the footage.