A car being chased by a marked police car smashed into an oncoming vehicle leaving debris scattered over the A306 in Barnes, near the Hammersmith Bridge.

Police said a VW Passat was being chased by a marked police car when it hit a Vauxhall Astra at about 1.05pm.

The driver of the car being chased got out but was arrested nearby on suspicion of dangerous driving.

The Vauxhall driver was taken to St George's Hospital Tooting with a neck injury but his injuries are not thought to be life threatening.

VIDEO BELOW

The London Ambulance Service is at the crash on Castelnau near Lonsdale Road, but the wreckage of the vehicles involved were yet to be towed.

Hammersmith Bridge was closed after the accident.

A large amount of debris is strewn across the road, with police setting up small yellow cones to help gather evidence.

Tire skids can be seen left on the road and a dark coloured car has been left badly damaged, its front crumpled by the impact.

Anastasia Milkova, an employee at Flowers by Cymbidium, said: "I just saw the aftermath and the police have closed everything.

"It was a car being chased. It hit another random car and the guy being chased by the police ran off.

"The other guy was injured – it was a bit of a shock."

Former MP Gyles Brandreth tweeted: "Accident involving police car(s) in Hammersmith according to folk now walking along the deserted street."

@Jeyanney tweeted: "Oh great castelnau and hammersmith bridge shut only one way out of Barnes looks like I'm not going anywhere fast!"

The road is closed between Hammersmith Bridge and Rocks Lane. 

One witness, who works at the nearby pub The Bridge, said: “From what we understand, a car was being chased or was being followed by the police and hit another car.

"The driver got out and ran away.

“We just heard a loud bang, and now there’s lots of debris in the road."

A worker at the Dolls House hair salon in Castelnau, said: “Apparently it was a young boy in a car being chased by the police.

“There’s quite a lot of wreckage and the cars haven’t been towed yet."

Did you see what happened? Call the newsdesk on 020 8722 6326 or email george.odling@london.newsquest.co.uk