A man died after crashing his car following a high speed chase with police reaching speeds of 77mph, an inquest heard.

Ryan Staple of Charles Cobb Gardens, Waddon, died in hospital six days after crashing a Mini Cooper S in Lennard Road, Penge, at about 11.20pm on January 13 last year.

The inquest heard Mr Staple, 20, had taken the car from a person known as LD in South Norwood, who was working on the vehicle on behalf of the owner.

PC Stuart Ormsby was one of three officers in an unmarked police car patrolling Bromley when two cars sped past them. Officers lost sight of the first car, but followed the Mini at speeds of 77mph along Croydon Road.

When they caught up with the Mini at a junction and got out to to approach the driver the car sped off.

The officers continued to pursue the Mini travelling at 60mph along Penge High Street and speeds of 70mph along Lennard Road.

After losing sight of the car, officers found it stationary at the junction of Parish Lane and Lennard Road and thought it had been abandoned, but as two officers approached the driver's door the car began reversing.

PC Ormsby told the inquest he was running alongside the car when it drove at him, mounting the pavement before hitting a parking post.

He said: "I had no illusion, he was trying to run me over as he was on the pavement."

The inquest heard after hitting the parking post Mr Staple did a handbrake turn and drove off at 100mph, before a series of loud bangs were heard.

Sergeant Brian Croucher and PC Andrew West saw a cloud of dust and continued up the road where they discovered a Ford C-max in the middle of the road and the crashed Mini surrounded by debris.

PC West said: "It appeared the Mini had struck a vehicle while crossing the junction of Kent House Road. The driver's window was smashed, I could see Mr Staple slumped over in the passenger foot well.

"I started to speak to him and he moaned and pulled himself in to the seated position, but I couldn't open the door because of the damage to the vehicle."

London Fire Brigade were called to remove Mr Staple from the car and he was taken to Kings College Hospital where he later died.

The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

The Mini crashed just past the junction of Lennard Road and Kent House Road