POLICE chased a pair of theft suspects across three counties in a high speed pursuit that began in Chippenham and ended with a crash in Oxfordshire.

Cars and helicopters from two police forces combined to pursue the two suspects, who were first spotted in a van on the A4 at Pewsham, for more than an hour-and-a-half on Sunday evening.

Police took up the chase of the van after receiving reports of a burglary in Hilmarton that evening, where a neighbour had recorded the registration of a vehicle seen in the area.

A marked police car attempted to pull the van over at Quemerford, but the suspects accelerated along the A4 towards Cherhill.

By the time the van reached Beckhampton, two marked police cars and one unmarked car were in hot pursuit, but one of the police cars from Calne blew a tyre and had to pull over.

The Wiltshire Police helicopter then arrived and tracked the van as it sped towards Marlborough, where trained pursuit officers joined the chase.

The van turned into the A346 and raced towards the M4 where it headed into Berkshire. Thames Valley Police joined the chase at junction 14, where the suspects changed direction again, turning onto the A338 towards Wantage.

At 6.35pm, the Thames Valley Police helicopter arrived to give assistance.

The van sped along a series of back roads before reaching the A4074, past Wallingford, where it collided with a Peugeot 106 at the roundabout junction between the A4074 and the A329.

The woman driving the Peugeot was treated by paramedics for minor injuries. Two men were arrested.

Chippenham's Acting Police Sergeant Dave Budd said: "It was a well co-ordinated operation by the control room, which involved a high level of inter force co-operation."

l Phillip Collins, 23, of Addis Road, Cheltenham, and Mark Hawkins, 48, of Fairview Street, Cheltenham, were remanded in custody until August 4 by magistrates in Oxford on Monday charged with burglary. Hawkins was also charged with dangerous driving.