Sorry, this video asset has been removed.

IT MAY have been a car chase to end all car chases, even though it only reached four miles an hour.

As security officer James Stevens trundled into The Mall Chequers car park in Maidstone on a three-wheeler Shopmobility scooter to deliver it back, he saw a car making off after damaging another, and sprang into action.

With the scooter full speed ahead, Mr Stevens gave chase on the vehicle – which is designed for use by the disabled or people with mobility problems – and

followed it up three storeys, heading it off on level 6.

Mr Stevens said: “I heard the crash. I saw this car reverse out and smack into another car and so I followed him.

“I had it at full speed – that’s four miles an hour. It doesn’t go any faster than that.

Walkways

“As he drove round the levels, the car was going up, but I was going on the walkways, which are shorter, so I was able to head him off. I stopped the scooter right in front of the car.”

Mr Stevens then radioed for supervisor Stuart Brumbridge, who raced to help.

Lee Bennett, who works for Town Centre Management in Maidstone, said her Fiesta suffered damaged worth £1,200 after it was hit in the front wing.

“From what I can understand, it was a bit of a Starsky and Hutch moment,” she said.

“Because James knew the layout of the car park, he was able to head him off by going up the walkways.

“That scooter may have only gone at four miles an hour, but it got the job done. It all happened quite quickly.”

The scooter, which is one of a four-vehicle fleet of Shopmobility scooters, is sponsored by Young and Partners.

They are normally available to hire for £3 a day to use while shopping, and rarely reach the top speed.

The incident, which happened last Tuesday , is now in the hands of insurers.