THIS is the incredible moment a motorist driving down a country lane saw police chasing one of their own patrol cars - which then smashed into a hedge.

Motorist Karl Johnson, 32, was in the quiet lane in Draethen, near Caerphilly, when the smashed-up patrol car sped past around a corner.

He then saw a police motorcyclist followed by another marked police car in hot pursuit of their own force's vehicle.

And his dashcam then captured the moment the fleeing thief who stole the police car veer off the road into a hedge.

The drama began after officers had been pursuing another car when they pulled it over and chased the driver on foot.

But his teenage passenger hopped into the marked police vehicle that the officers had vacated and sped off.

Dashcam footage showed him speeding around the corner of a narrow country lane before crashing through a hedge.

The teenager allegedly led police on the chase for four miles before eventually crashing.

Mr Johnson, who captured the dashcam footage, said he thought he was going to crash into the police car as it wildly came towards him.

He said: "We were driving through the lane and I'd decided not to speed up knowing there was a one-vehicle bridge approaching.

"As we came to the corner a police vehicle was in the middle of the road.

"As the police vehicle swerved it lost control and disappeared through the hedge. It was a close call."

Gwent Police said officers had initially responded to "several reports" of another car being driven dangerously in the Graig-y-Rhacca area of Caerphilly on Saturday, April 8.

The force said a 19-year-old had been charged with car theft, dangerous driving, drink or drug-driving, assault and criminal damage, and is being held in custody.

A 22-year-old man has also been arrested and charged with dangerous driving, drug-driving, failing to stop for police, criminal damage and racially or religiously aggravated harassment. He has since been released on conditional bail.