A suspected thief stole an Amazon delivery van and sparked a police chase spanning 40-minutes and speeds of up to 100mph.

The 25-year-old was held after officers pursued the van from Wigan, in Greater Manchester, through Bolton and into Chorley in Lancashire, where the van crashed into pedestrian barriers and a vehicle stopped at traffic lights.

Police had received a 999 call at around 6.23pm on Wednesday to report the Amazon van carrying £1,000 worth of parcels had been stolen.

Officers located the vehicle within 15 minutes and began following.

They attempted to stop the van without a pursuit but the driver made off at speed.

Police said over the course of the next 40 minutes, the vehicle went three times over the speed limit, reaching around 100mph, injured a cyclist and caused significant damage to multiple pieces of street furniture.

No serious injuries were reported.

The suspect was arrested at the scene of the crash which ended the pursuit on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving, failure to stop, driving under the influence of a controlled substance and possession of Class A and C drugs.

He has been bailed pending further inquiries.

Pc Nat Mannyng, from the transport unit at Greater Manchester Police, said: “This was an extremely dangerous incident which saw a vehicle reaching speeds of 100mph through residential streets where families, pedestrians and other road users were going about their daily lives.

“The driver showed a complete disregard for public safety and innocent members of the public were harmed as a result of his actions.

“Thankfully, there were only minor physical injuries but his behaviour could have resulted in a serious collision.

“Our officers are trained to continually assess the risks involved in any pursuit and the decision-making throughout this incident was focused on protecting the public and ensuring the situation was brought to a safe conclusion.

“We will continue to take robust action against those who choose to put lives at risk on our roads, and we hope this outcome sends a clear message that these offences will not be tolerated.”