A thief drove a stolen delivery van at its owner on Kingston Bridge.

A witness said he saw the delivery driver, 49, knocked down after he jumped into the bus lane to block the thief's escape.

The van had been stolen from Old Bridge Street in Hampton Wick, and was driven away towards Kingston town centre.

The witness said: "I was stationary in light traffic heading towards Hampton Wick when I saw a man run from the pavement into the road on the other carriageway.

"He stood in the bus lane in the middle of the bridge, then a large van drove in my direction in the right hand lane.

"The man was still in the bus lane, waving his arms at the van, which then swerved into the bus lane and hit the man.

"I was especially shocked that the thief had gone out of his way to hit the other man - he could have just driven away in the right hand lane, but chose to swerve to hit him.

"I guess it was no more than 10 mph, but hard enough to lift him off his feet and onto the windscreen and bonnet.

"The van then swerved back into the right hand lane and drove on past me."

The witness added he was so shocked he just sounded his car horn as the victim shouted: "It's my van and he's just stolen it."

Police have made no arrests over the hit-and-run, which happened at about midday on Friday, July 10.

The delivery driver suffered only minor injuries and was not taken to hospital.