A STOLEN van hit five other vehicles as it was driven away.

Two men stole the Transit van from outside a house in Belthorn Road in the early hours of Wednesday.

They smashed the window at 2.20am, disturbing the owner. One of the men ran off and the other drove the vehicle away, colliding into five other cars as he did so.

Sgt Adrea Bradbury, of Darwen police, said the driver was later arrested on the M65.

Police are looking for the other man who was said to be wearing a dark cagoule-type coat.