A boxing champ told today of his lucky escape after his car was rammed by a police riot van.

Michael Alldis, of Gossops Green, Crawley, said the police driver thought he was not wearing a seat belt and followed him with his sirens blaring.

The 34-year-old British and Commonwealth super bantamweight title holder is due to take part in a European title fight elimination next month but said this was now in jeopardy after he suffered bruising and back and neck pain in the crash.

Mr Alldis said: "They said I was not wearing a seatbelt but if I was not wearing a seatbelt I would have been a dead man from the impact.

"The only thing stopping me from going over the railway embankment was the lamp post I hit. I am pretty shaken up by it."

Mr Alldis said he had been travelling through Bewbush in Crawley on Sunday at about 3pm when he saw the van behind him and heard something on its tannoy system.

He put his hand up to acknowledge the officer but, he says, as the officer did nothing in response he carried on driving.

Mr Alldis next saw the van several minutes later as he travelled along Overdene Drive in Gossops Green.

"I looked in my mirror and he did nothing so I carried on.

"About three minutes later, the next thing I see is the van coming round a bend.

"I thought he was obviously involved in an emergency so as I was approaching a sharp bend on a railway bridge I braked.

"The police van carried on going straight through me.

"The first thing the policeman said was he was chasing me because I was not wearing a seatbelt.

"He was chasing me as if he was chasing an armed robber.

"I am lucky to be alive and it is not just me. The pedestrians who were walking close by were lucky too.

"The police have got to do their jobs but I feel like some officers take their power a bit too excessively."

The hire car he was driving in when the accident occurred was taken away by police moments afterwards.

Mr Alldis, who has wanted to be a boxer all his life, said he was hoping the accident had not caused permanent damage.

"They have got to realise my life was at risk but a couple of couples walking past were also in danger."

A spokeswoman for Sussex Police said: "We can confirm an incident has occurred and we are investigating.

"We are not able to say anything more until we have spoken to all the witnesses."