FOUR masked men who broke into a Bromsgrove wine shop tried to throw pursuing police off their tails by hurling a sledge hammer and bottles at the car.

The raiders smashed a window in Threshers wine shop, in High Street, and fled with what police say was a considerable amount of money and property.

A sledgehammer was thrown at the police car as the offenders escaped in a Volvo Estate, believed to have been stolen from Kingswinford, near Stourbridge.

The car was also bombarded with cans and bottles as the Volvo sped off, heading for the M5 towards Birmingham.

An officer followed the vehicle until he lost it when it left the motorway at Frankley services and headed for Halesowen.

Police spokeswoman Joanne Hammond said: "These thieves have demonstrated how easily they have turned to violence with this incident by throwing a sledgehammer at the police car.

"It was lucky that the officer inside the car was not injured in anyway.

"The officer continued to follow the car even though bottles and cans were being thrown at him.

"Unfortunately, the offenders were lost in Halesowen and we are hoping that the public may be able to help with new information."

Closed circuit television camera footage of the incident is being studied.

Staff at Threshers, and at its Hertfordshire headquarters, declined to comment.

Anyone with information about the incident at 1.45am last Thursday morning, September 6, is asked to contact Bromsgrove police on (01527) 584888 or Crimestoppers, confidentially, on 0800 555 111.