Police say they are “extremely concerned” for the safety of two men believed to have gone into the river Hull following a police pursuit.

Humberside Police said officers tried to pull over a car which had a defective rear light on Friday for a routine check.

It failed to stop and they gave chase, with a “short pursuit” ending in Charlotte Street when the vehicle hit a wall.

The men got out and fled on foot and are believed to have gone into the river nearby around 8.30pm.

The car crashed into a wall on Charlotte Street close to the river Hull in the Old Town

placeholder image — The car crashed into a wall on Charlotte Street close to the river Hull in the Old Town

Leading the search Detective Inspector Andy Crawforth said “Following reports of two men entering the water, a search was immediately launched to locate and identify them.

“We are extremely concerned for their welfare and are conducting extensive lines of enquiries in an attempt to identify and locate them, so far this has included searches by our patrol officers, the Coastguard, Humberside Fire and Rescue service and our specialist Underwater Search Team.

“Residents and the local community can expect to see an increased police presence in and around the area over the weekend whilst the search continues and enquiries remain ongoing.

“To help with these enquiries, I would ask anyone who believes they know who these men are or who thinks that someone they know went missing yesterday evening to contact us immediately.

“I would also urge anyone who has information that could assist our enquiries including any CCTV, doorbell footage or witnesses who were in the area at the time to contact us on our non-emergency number 101 quoting log 461 of 5 December.