A 72-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of driving offences after jumping into a stretch of water near Great Yarmouth to flee police.

Officers had tried to stop a Vauxhall car, believed to have false plates, on the A47 Acle Straight on Thursday, March 17 at 4.25pm.

However, the driver failed to stop and during a pursuit the car was then abandoned and enquiries led to the man being found in Breydon Water in Great Yarmouth near to railway lines.

Hemsby Broads Rescue, part of the Hemsby Lifeboat service, was also called to the incident, with initial reports indicating the man was unresponsive.

But the team was stood down once on scene as he was out of the water and already in police custody.

The lifeboat said in a statement the 72-year-old had jumped into the water to escape police.

He had been brought to dry land and checked over by paramedics and was then arrested at 7.15pm.

He was arrested on suspicion of failing to stop, driving while disqualified, dangerous driving, driving without insurance, fraud and trespassing on a railway line.

He was taken to Great Yarmouth Police Investigation Centre where he remains in custody and will be questioned by police today (March 18).

A lifeboat had initially been launched from Great Yarmouth, but this had to be moored due to damage caused by an underwater obstacle and access issues, with Hemsby Broads Rescue attending by road instead.

The incident also involved The British Transport Police, Network Rail and the Winterton and Gorleston Coastguard teams.

A big clean-up operation was needed at Hemsby Lifeboat afterwards due to the damage sustained and amount of mud collected on the boat.