A man and woman in their 70s have died after their car was hit by a suspected drink-driver in a Ford Transit being chased by police.

Officers spotted the van being 'driven erratically at speed' and the vehicle failed the stop.

The Ford Transit van smashed into a Citroen C3 in Eltham, south-east London, just after midnight on Saturday.

Photo of the scene where a man and woman in their 70s died after the Citroen C3 car they were traveling in (right) was hit by a Ford Transit van

Emergency services rushed to the scene but both the man and woman died at the scene.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed the van driver was arrested on suspicion of driving whilst over the alcohol limit, driving under the influence of drugs and death by dangerous driving.

Images emerging from the scene this morning show a Europcar being towed away from the scene as debris is sprawled across the floor. The company is a rental van company hire, which suggests the person driving the vehicle was not the owner.

Neighbour Mahmut Hasan, 57, said he was asleep at the time of crash but was awoken after the Citroen came to a stop in the back of his Honda Jazz.

His car will now likely have to be scrapped after it was damaged in the collision, he said.

He said: 'I came down and saw them (emergency services) trying to resuscitate the older couple for a long time.

A white Europcar was seen being towed away from the scene which was involved in the collision

'I saw the passenger side had a walking stick next to it. Their whole car was a mess. Very badly damaged. The front was gone.

'(My car) is a write-off. The whole of the side is damaged.

'But at the end of the day it doesn't matter because it's just metal and rubber, and two people have sadly lost their lives.'

Council staff were busy on Saturday morning putting down sand on the road, which has 30mph speed limits.

Tyre marks could be seen across the carriageway and on a grass bank, with damage to a wooden post.

Mr Hasan said: 'The road can be quite dangerous though. Cars can go very quickly along here.

'I've lived here for 26 years and some cars really speed along.'

Neighbour Hussein Dervish, 65, said: 'I was in the back of my house when I heard just a loud bang. Even with the double glazing and all that, I still heard it.

The officers added the incident has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, as is usual procedure in deaths involving the police

'I went outside and saw the car and the van. I said to the police officer: 'I hope they (the elderly couple) are okay?' But the policeman said they weren't.

'I don't know what happened here. But there was another smash a few weeks ago just down the road.

'Sometimes they come along here at 70mph or 80mph, with their modified engines.'

The officers added the incident has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, as is usual procedure in deaths involving the police.

A spokesman said: 'Our investigators have attended the scene and post incident procedures to gather the initial evidence. Our investigation will focus on the police's actions prior to the crash.

'Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the deceased and all those affected by this incident. We will make contact with the family at the appropriate point to explain our role.'

MailOnline has contacted Europcar for comment.