PSNI officers avoid injury after three police cars rammed

Supt Christian Bradley says the incident could have had a "tragic outcome"

Police officers escaped injury after three police cars were rammed in Belfast, in what has been described as a "violent incident".

It happened at 04:30 GMT on Friday.

Officers on patrol in the Upper Lisburn Road in the south of the city saw an Audi A4 which had earlier been reported as driving erratically and failing to stop for police.

The police officers signalled for the car to stop but it drove off and a chase began.

As the car was driven into the city centre, armed response unit officers positioned their vehicles at the Grosvenor Road/Fisherwick Place junction to stop the Audi.

While the officers tried to arrest the driver and passenger, the driver repeatedly drove at and rammed the police cars.

The incident happened on the Grosvenor Road in the early hours of Friday

Supt Christian Bradley said he was thankful no one was seriously injured.

"Were it not for the professionalism and bravery of my colleagues in stopping this vehicle and arresting the driver and passenger involved in this dangerous and violent incident, there could well have been a tragic outcome," he said.

Two men, a 54-year-old and a 30-year-old have been arrested on suspicion of a range of offences including dangerous driving, driving without a licence/ insurance and failure to provide a preliminary breath test.

They remain in custody.