Thief steals police car while officers make unrelated arrest

An opportunistic thief in Perth has hopped behind the wheel of a police car while officers were making an arrest on another man.

Officers left the car on Williamson Avenue in Cloverdale at 8.15pm last night, to chase a man who was suspected of committing home burglary.

He was arrested in the backyard of a nearby property – but when officers returned to their car, it was gone.

CCTV footage shows the branded patrol car being driven away with its red and blue lights flashing.

It was located about 15-minutes later after it crashed into the back of a black Toyota Camry on Wright Street.

The driver fled the scene and is still on the run.

The man behind the wheel of the Camry has been taken to hospital with a sore neck.