A motorist died in a crash involving a car which police had tried to pull over moments earlier.

The 63-year-old Bognor Regis man died when his Nissan Sunny was in a head-on collision with a Skoda Octavia in Britten's Lane, Fontwell. Sussex Police yesterday revealed they had asked the 73-year-old Skoda driver to stop before the smash on Monday.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: "A police car had requested the Skoda driver to stop shortly before the accident because of something minor. For whatever reason he did not stop.

"The police car continued to follow the vehicle but was not immediately behind it when the accident happened."

The Skoda driver, from Littlehampton, suffered minor injuries and was taken to St. Richard's Hospital, Chichester, for treatment. He has been discharged and was yesterday questioned by police.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission sent inspectors to assess the scene. A spokesman said the IPCC expected to investigate and was waiting for a referral from Sussex Police.

The force's road policing department in Chichester will also investigate.

Sussex Police refused to say whether the police car had its lights flashing or siren sounding. It would not release details until its own investigation was complete. The lane was sealed for eight hours on Monday while the vehicles were recovered.

The IPCC is still investigating a crash in Hastings last October in which five teenagers died. Sussex Police said a patrol car was "involved".

In February PC Victoria Richards was banned from driving following an IPCC investigation after hitting an elderly man while she answered a 999 call.

She was driving at more than 60mph when she hit retired engineer David Lloyd, 83, who died later.

The IPCC also probed a crash in which drunk-driver Dean Noakes, 29, plunged to his death over cliffs in east Brighton after a chase.