MOTORISTS scattered out of the path of a red Vauxhall car speeding along the A48 on Saturday morning closely followed by two police cars.

The chase ended in a crash near Cinderford with the three injured occupants of the car, including a 15-year-old girl, being freed from the wreckage and treated in hospital for minor injuries before all three were arrested.

One driver told the Review: "I was shocked – it was like a scene from the Keystone Cops with wailing sirens and two squad cars chasing a red car. They passed me as I was heading into Gloucester just outside Westbury, but when I got through the village there were more police cars and an ambulance chasing after them."

Police later said the red car had failed to stop for police officers in Gloucester.

 "Following a pursuit the car was briefly lost in the Littledean area and was subsequently found in Cinderford having left the carriageway at the junction of Edgehills Road and Causeway Road," they said in a statement.

The driver, a 23-year-old man from Cinderford, sustained an injury to his left hand and was taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital for treatment. His passengers, a 15-year-old girl from Cinderford and a 38-year-old Gloucester man, suffered minor injuries in the collision.

The driver was arrested for failing to stop, being unfit to drive and for document offences. He has been given police bail until April 11.

Both passengers were arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle and have been bailed to return to Gloucester Police Station on April 10.

Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact them on 0845 090 1234 quoting incident number 164 of February 20.