Man who ran from police looking for robbery suspect hit by car in Norwich

A man who allegedly took a tie from a memorial - and was then chased by police searching for a suspect in a robbery - has been hit by a car.

It happened on Cattle Market Street, in Norwich, on Sunday night and was connected to police investigating a robbery in London Street around the same time.

An eyewitness said they were walking up the road from Norwich Railway Station and saw a man looking at the memorial to David Hastings who was murdered in Rose Lane Car Park last week.

They said the man bent down and took a tie from the memorial before walking off.

The eyewitness said: 'He walked up Cattle Market Street and turned off and the next thing I knew he was running full pelt being chased by a policeman.'

They said he ran into the road and was hit by a car.

Police officers had already been called to London Street, where there were reports of a robbery in a betting shop.

The eyewitness said: 'I think he thought I was on my phone calling the police about the tie, so when he saw all the police - who were looking for someone for a robbery - he ran.'

Norfolk Constabulary's Inspector Gina Hopkinson said: 'We're still investigating [the robbery] and still looking for the offender. It would appear this man ran from police thinking we were after him for this robbery and he was hit by a vehicle.'

But she said it was not believed the man was involved in the robbery, and had only suffered minor injuries.

Cattle Market Street was closed while emergency services dealt with the incident.