A driver has been arrested after a police chase involving a London taxi.

The roads policing unit (RPU) at Surrey Police said the cab, which was not registered for commercial use, sped away after driving past officers near Woking on Thursday.

Following a short pursuit, the suspect left the vehicle but was caught while trying to climb over a garden fence in the village of Send.

The taxi was using fake number plates and the driver was arrested on suspicion of several offences, including drug-driving.

The RPU tweeted it was “not the kind of vehicle you expect to be in pursuit of”, and used a laughing emoji after describing how the cab attempted to outrun a police car.

Taxis can be driven legally on UK roads for private use as long as the usual rules for cars are followed, such as driving licence, tax and insurance.