A woman police officer had to leap to safety when a man she had been questioning reversed his car at her.

The vehicle came within a metre of hitting PC Lorna Dennison.

The driver sped away and police today are continuing to hunt for him.

PC Dennison stopped the vehicle in a cul-de-sac in Hollingdean, Brighton on Sunday night as part of Operation Shaft, a crackdown on car criminals.

She was checking the driver's details and suspected he had given her a false name and address.

PC Dennison wanted to search the car, a blue Rover but the driver suddenly leapt back into the vehicle and drove off. He headed down the cul-de-sac, Merevale, and then reversed at speed to escape.

Sergeant Roger Fry said: "Lorna did extremely well under the circumstances and her quick action saved her from injury."

Operation Shaft has slashed thefts of and from vehicles in the Hollingdean and Hollingbury areas of Brighton in recent weeks.

Anyone with information about the blue Rover should contact Sgt Fry at Brighton and Hove police station on 0845 6070 999.