The breakfast-time chase involved five police cars, with officers using their vehicles to ram their target to a standstill.

As well as the vehicle police were chasing, another car was caught in the incident which led to seven PSNI officers and two members of the public sustaining minor injuries.

Police arrested the driver of a red Vauxhall Vectra - who left a trail of destruction as he drove “erratically” for about an hour. Following the crash the road at Kingsway was closed until after midday.

The PSNI said that a man in a “vulnerable state” set off at around 8.40am from the Ballyskeagh area of Dunmurry, driving the saloon car erratically and crashing into three parked vehicles.

A fourth parked car was damaged on the Black’s Road shortly before 9am.

He failed to stop for police and drove off in the direction of Lisburn, but was spotted by officers at 9.50am at the junction of Black’s Road and the Upper Lisburn Road.

Officers used their cars to box the car in and ram it after the driver mounted the pavement and drove along it at high speed.

The car had narrowly missed three members of the public before it collided with a stationary car and a police vehicle.

Superintendent Jonathon Kearney, who was in charge of the operation in Lisburn, said: “The Police Service’s priority this morning was to protect the lives of all members of the public.

“In doing so police officers acted professionally and indeed courageously to stop this driver and prevent further damage or serious injury being caused.

“I want to pay tribute to all those involved in this police operation this morning.”

A police spokeswoman said the Police Ombudsman’s Office had been informed, as is standard practice following road accidents involving police vehicles.

Lagan Valley MLA Trevor Lunn praised the police for stopping the car and said that the incident could have been a “disaster”.

The Alliance Assemblyman said: “This was a very shocking incident for local people, but it appears that police have averted a potential disaster on our roads.

“People must not think that they can get away with playing Grand Theft Auto with people’s lives.

“The police simply must crack down on reckless drivers.”

Mr Lunn said it was “deeply distressing” there had been injuries.