Arsenal star flees crash

An Arsenal player was at the centre of a police probe today after fleeing the scene of a car crash in which he wrote off his £65,000 BMW.

Robin Van Persie, 21, told officers he hit the central reservation barrier on the M25 at high speed. The car overturned, skidded across the road and slid down a bank before ending up in a field.

Amazingly the Dutchman escaped the wreckage unscathed. He then called a friend to collect him before investigating officers traced him to the club's Colney training ground where he was questioned.

Van Persie, who signed from Feyenoord for £2.75 million in May, told them he had panicked. The footballer, using his countryman Dennis Bergkamp as an interpreter, was ordered to report to a police station today with his car documents.

Van Persie, who was not arrested or breathalysed, smashed into the barrier near St Albans as he made his way to training yesterday morning. Leaving a crash scene where there is damage to a "fixed construction" such as the barrier is a criminal offence which can carry a penalty of six months in jail and a £2,000 fine.

A club source said: "Robin had no idea he was doing wrong by leaving the scene of the crash. He went to a phone box and called a colleague to pick him up. He was very shaken." A police spokesman said: "We are continuing to make enquiries."