Two police officers were injured when their patrol vehicle was forced off the road by a car which had sped through two police vehicle checkpoints in Co Down in the early hours of this morning.
Four people were arrested when the car allegedly involved in the incident was eventually stopped.
The PSNI said they were alerted the green Nissan Primera just before 1am today after the occupants attempted to steal a car from a house in Loughbrickland, Co Down.
They made off without the vehicle after threatening the owner with a hammer. The Nissan then failed to stop at two vehicle checkpoints set up in the area before colliding with the police vehicle. The patrol car was forced off the road and crashed into a telegraph pole, causing extensive damage to the vehicle.
The Nissan travelled on to the main A1 Belfast- Newry road before being finally being stopped. Two men, aged 28 and 19, were arrested as were two females aged 15 and 17, all from Belfast.
A spokesman said the two officers injured in the crash were not believed to have suffered injuries which were life-threatening. Three other officers suffered minor injuries during the incident, he said.