FIVE teenagers who led police on a high-speed chase which went on for eight miles were tracked down by a dog unit and arrested.

Officers tried to flag down and stop a grey Volkswagen Polo on the A127 at Rayleigh in the early hours of Friday.

Police chased the car along the London-bound carriageway and through the streets of Basildon before the VW- believed to have been stolen in a burglary- was dumped on the Craylands estate.

When officers reached the car at about 12.45am, its driver and passengers have run off.

The force helicopter was scrambled to search the area, assisted by officers and the dog unit on the ground.

A gang of five were later found and taken to Basildon police station for questioning.

Dave Keeble, who lives off Hockley Road, Basildon, was walking along Timberlog Lane with his 15-year-old daughter at about 12.40am when he saw the VW hurtling around the corner.

He said: “I was just walking along the road taking my daughter to her mums when a little dark-coloured car came up Luncies Road and was screeching around the corner.

“It then sped round the roundabout.

“A couple of seconds later there was a police car with flashing lights but it didn’t have its sirens on.

“You could tell they were in pursuit of it.”

Mr Keeble said the VW was being driving so erratically he had “no doubt” the car had been stolen.

He said: “It was going as fast as it could possibly go and as it turned a corner, it went on the wrong side of the roundabout.

“It seemed like they were trying to get away, it didn’t look like they were just driving around for fun.

“It went so fast past us.”

Overnight between Thursday and Friday, police were called out to five burglaries in Basildon, in which cars were stolen.

It is not known if the incidents were linked.

An Essex Police spokesman said: “Five people have been arrested on suspicion of burglary after a stolen vehicle failed to stop for officers on the A127 at Rayleigh just before 12.30am on Friday, July 22.

“The car, a grey Volkswagen Polo, was abandoned in Craylands, Basildon just before 12.45am and five teenagers were arrested.

“In custody are a 16-year-old boy from Southend, a 16-year-old boy from Basildon, a 19-year-old woman from Southend, a 15-year-old girl from Southend and an 18-year-old woman from Southend.

“The car has been recovered.”