A POLICE officer dived for safety as a stolen car rammed a police van in Newport. Another officer suffered slight injuries after the grey Vauxhall Astra drove into the van in Margaret Avenue, Maindee, before speeding away.

Six police officers were called to the road after a suspicious vehicle was reported at 9.30am yesterday.

Residents had spotted the car in a lane by the railway line behind the houses, and reported seeing some young men asleep in the car.

Sergeant Rod Grindlay who attended the scene said: "We confirmed the vehicle was stolen in the Cross Keys area on Tuesday and the occupant was wanted for theft offences in Hereford on Wednesday."

Police officers parked a van across the entrance to the lane and approached the three sleeping men.

The occupants, all described as white males aged 18-22, woke but refused to open the door and instead switched the ignition on.

They then drove the car down the lane towards the van just as two police officers were getting out of the vehicle.

They accelerated suddenly to ram the van and managed to move it to create a gap to escape through.

One policeman stood in front of the car with his hands raised, calling for the driver to stop. The driver kept going and the officer was forced to leap to his safety, but the vehicle clipped him on the knee as it passed him. The policeman did not require treatment. Officers are still looking for the car. Sgt Grindlay said: "It later transpired from reports that the car had spent both nights in the lane behind Margaret Avenue since it was reported stolen.

"It's of obvious concern that the driver was so reckless in his actions, both in deliberately ramming a police vehicle and in his disregard for the officer's safety. "Thankfully no member of the public was harmed, especially as it took place near a school."

Alan Bowman, (pictured) of Margaret Avenue, said: "It was just like watching a film, there was full wheelspin and smoke coming off the tyres as the driver rammed the police van - they could have killed someone."

John Davies, who also lives in Margaret Avenue, said: "The police van was parked across the entrance to the lane but there was a small gap. The grey car moved the van aside by hitting it and then was like an animal out of a trap.

"They went flat out, leaving the police van bumper sticking up in the air and tyre tracks along the road where children play."