A HAMPSHIRE family have described the terrifying moment a stolen car almost smashed into their vehicle during a police operation.

Dave Jeffery, who was travelling with his fiancee and their two-year-old daughter, said a Vauxhall Zafira missed their Ford S-Max by inches as the driver tried to evade police.

The Southampton family were waiting at traffic lights when the other car hurtled into view and did a “massive spin” in front of their vehicle.

Mr Jeffrey said the silver-coloured Zafira would have smashed into his car if the lights had gone green seconds earlier.

After almost hitting the Ford S-Max the Zafira collided with a police car before clipping a Vauxhall Astra and demolishing a set of traffic lights.

Police are refusing to be drawn on whether they were chasing the stolen vehicle when the drama occurred on a sliproad beside the Redbridge roundabout.

Mr Jeffery, 27, and Jessica Young, 25, were travelling with their daughter Isobella, who was asleep in the back of the car.

Miss Young said: “A car came straight for us after the driver lost control. It then went around the roundabout at high-speed and clipped a Vauxhall Astra.

“My heart was going and I was shaking because I was so angry. I was disgusted that someone could drive like that.”

Mr Jeffery added: “The police car was chasing the Zafira when it did a massive spin right in front of us, missing our vehicles inches.

“Luckily we were waiting at traffic lights. If the lights had gone green we’d have been moving off and the other vehicle would crashed into us.

“We didn’t get to sleep until 2am – we just couldn’t stop thinking about it.”

The Zafira had been stolen from Emma Hazell, of Southampton. It was taken on March 9 after someone entered her home and snatched her car keys while she was upstairs with her three children.

She said: “I’d only had the car for three weeks and now it’s been written off in a crash. I want these scumbags caught.”

No-one was hurt in the incident, which occurred on Wednesday at about 9.30pm.

A police spokeswoman said officers were “following” the Zafira when the driver attempted to go the wrong way around the roundabout.

She added: “The police car and the Zafira collided. The Zafira then continued along a slip road leading to Millbrook Road West, collided with a Vauxhall Astra and went on to hit a traffic light.”

Anyone with information about the collision should call police on 101 quoting reference number 44170097999.