A VAN crashed into a children's play area after a dramatic police chase through Prestwich and Whitefield earlier today.

The orange Ford Transit careered off Bury New Road in Whitefield at 10.45am, smashing through bushes surrounding Hamilton Road Park, directly opposite Whitefield Police Station.

A man and three youths were arrested at the scene on suspicion of theft of the vehicle and other motoring offences. The chase began on the M60 after the van was spotted travelling in the wrong direction down the carriageway. The van made a U-turn on the motorway after which the police gave chase.

But the van then turned around and drove back along the hard shoulder against the flow of motorway traffic, before coming off the M60 at Junction 18.

Police followed the van as it made its way onto Bury Old Road in Prestwich and along Bury New Road in Whitefield. A number of parked cars were damaged and other motorists were forced to pull off the road to avoid being hit.

When police tried to stop the van using a stinger to puncture the tyres, the driver smashed through hedges and railings into Hamilton Road Park before coming to a halt.

An eyewitness said: "I was travelling along Bury Old Road in Prestwich, near Cuckoo Lane when I saw police vehicles chasing a van. The police helicopter was above as well. There were loads of police vehicles. The chase came to an end in a park opposite the police station and it looked like the van was wedged between railings."

Another bystander added: "It was amazing nobody appeared to be seriously injured."