'Intoxicated' British men arrested after pedestrians mowed down and baby injured in Spanish resort of Puerto Banus

Two British men have been arrested by Spanish police after allegedly mowing down several people in a car rampage in the Costa del Sol resort of Puerto Banus on Sunday night.

Eight people have been admitted to hospital after the driver of a black Audi SQ7 allegedly mounted a pavement near the resort’s famous Ocean Club and hit three pedestrians - before crashing into several cars at the end of a two-mile police chase. 

Images posted on social media showed one of the victims bleeding on the ground, witnesses screaming in horror and a head-on collision which left wreckage strewn across the road, in an incident that many at first feared was an act of terrorism.

Police sources cited in local media said it appeared to result from a fight between two groups during a champagne party in the Ocean Club, which led to some of the men being expelled from the venue at around 9pm local time.

The fight allegedly continued in the street outside before the two British men went to the car park and got into the Audi. The car then entered a pedestrian area and knocked down three people. 

Police said both of those arrested had tested positive for drugs, one for cocaine and one for cannabis. Alcohol was also detected in both cases, at a level slightly over the legal limit.

The Audi then fled the scene and sped down the A-7 highway towards Marbella in the wrong direction, crashing into a car carrying a family with a 12-day-old baby and causing a multiple vehicle pile-up. Four people, including the baby, suffered injuries though these were said not to be serious.

Among the victims, one was being treated for a broken leg and another a fractured pelvis. A third person was reported to be unconscious and is undergoing tests to determine the extent of their injuries.

The driver of the Audi, who was also transferred to the Costa del Sol hospital in Marbella and was believed to be inebriated at the time of the incident, has been arrested, along with another British passenger, police confirmed.

Neither have been named though both are 27 years old, a spokeswoman for the National Police in Marbella told the Telegraph. They are expected to appear in front of investigating judges later on Monday or Tuesday and could be told they are being investigated for attempted murder if there is evidence the act was deliberate.

Police told the Telegraph they could not confirm reports there were other passengers in the Audi due to the ongoing investigation. They denied a claim by one Spanish newspaper that the British men had been fighting with another British group and that those hit on the pavement were members of the latter.

Witnesses suggested the fight may have initially broken out over a female at the Ocean Club, which is frequented by well-heeled British expats and holiday makers, including footballers and reality TV stars such as the cast of The Only Way is Essex.

The annual Champagne Party often sees guests spending thousands of pounds and spraying bottles over partygoers.