Four men have been killed in a car crash after being pursued by police in Bradford.

West Yorkshire police said the force had referred itself to the police watchdog over the incident, which happened at 5.30am on Thursday.

It was understood the BMW the men were travelling in was being followed by an unmarked police car at the time of the crash, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said. IOPC investigators were attending the scene to gather evidence, it said.

West Yorkshire police said: “Police can now confirm that four males who were in a car which was involved in a road traffic collision at 5.30am on Bingley Road at the junction with Toller Lane in Bradford this morning have died.



“The road is currently closed and is likely to remain so throughout most of the day. Due to the nature of the incident it has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.”

Miranda Biddle, the IOPC regional director, said: “This is a most tragic incident and our sympathies are with the family and friends of those who have died.



“West Yorkshire police made a mandatory referral to the IOPC and at 6.24am we declared an independent investigation. Our investigators are attending post-incident procedures, have travelled to the scene and have begun gathering evidence.”

Residents living close to the scene of the crash reported hearing a loud bang at about 5.30am on Thursday.

Roger Wood, 67, said: “It woke me up really early in the morning, there was this really loud bang down the bottom of the road. It wasn’t until I woke up properly later in the morning that I found out what had happened, when one of my neighbours said they’d seen on the news that people had died. It’s horrendous, horrendous.”

Another nearby resident, who did not wish to be named, said that she had long-held safety concerns about Toller Lane. “I was horrified when I first heard about it, but I wasn’t surprised when I heard that it was Toller Lane where it had happened,” she said. “It’s known for being a bit of a speed trap and there have been accidents down there in the past.”

A manager of a nearby coffee shop said he knew the four men who died, describing them as “polite young men”.

Mohammed Rashid, 51, said the people he believed were involved in the crash had been going to his shop since they were boys and said they were all friends.

He said: “It’s an absolute tragedy. Your heart just goes out to the families, to their parents. They were all polite young men, although I only knew them to greet and say hello to every now and then when they came in.”