A man has been taken to hospital after jumping into the River Avon in Chippenham in an attempt to escape police.

Wiltshire Police officers attempted to pull over a vehicle in Chippenham on Friday afternoon (March 15) when the driver jumped out of his vehicle and fled the scene.

In an effort to escape the officers, the man jumped into the river at Town Bridge and Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service were called to help rescue him.

"He was telling the police some choice words and would only speak to the fire brigade," one onlooker told the Gazette and Herald.

The man, who was rescued from the river by wading teams from three separate stations has now been taken to the Royal United Hospital as a precautionary measure.

"A man has been taken to hospital after officers stopped a vehicle in Chippenham this afternoon at approximately 1.40pm," a spokesperson for Wiltshire Police confirmed.

"The man ran from officers and jumped in the nearby river. We requested the assistance of the fire and rescue service to help rescue the man."

A spokesperson for the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service added: "Wiltshire Police requested our attendance at Town Bridge, Chippenham at 2.15pm today (15 March) to help them with an on-going incident involving a person in the river.

"We currently have a wading team from Chippenham and crews from Trowbridge and Devizes on scene."