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Car thieves in China have been slammed after stealing a four-by-four and driving it for more than a mile after it lost both its rear wheels in a police chase.

The jeep - stolen in Xingtai, Hebei province, northern China - only stopped when sparks from the rear axle scraping along the road threatened to blow up the fuel tank.

Two men who tried to flee from the stricken SUV were arrested and held for dangerous driving and theft.

"It was an idiotic stunt. They hit a parked car than then accelerated so fast over a speed hump they lost both their rear wheels.

"They couldn't control the vehicle and could have killed innocent road users," said a police spokesman.