Police received a report of a collision involving a beige coloured Audi A4 car on the Quoile Bridge in Downpatrick, shortly after 10.15pm, on Sunday 22nd September.

A PSNI spokesman said that the car left the scene of this collision and a short time later sped through a police checkpoint on the Killyleagh Road.

The police patrol followed in the direction the Audi had been travelling and came across the car on its roof, in a field off the Craigarusky Road, with no-one inside.

A search of the area was conducted and one man was found in bushes nearby with injuries requiring hospital treatment.

The man, aged 39, was arrested on suspicion of a number of offences including driving whilst disqualified, driving whilst unfit, driving with no insurance or licence and failing to stop, remain and report a collision.

He has been released on bail to allow for further enquiries to be conducted.

Further searches of the area were carried out as the original collision report stated that two males were travelling in the car but no other person was located.

The Craigarusky Road has now re-opened.

Officers would ask anyone who saw the Audi car travelling in the Downpatrick area on Sunday evening or who has dash-cam footage which could assist with their enquiries to contact them in Newtownards on 101, quoting reference number 1763 22/09/24.