Cross Europe cops 'n' robbers chase ends after 700 miles

Three armed bank robbers were captured today - and their young hostage freed - after a two day police chase across three nations.

The gunmen had taken two women staff hostage after robbing a German bank of €200,000.

That sparked one of the longest cops 'n' robbers chases ever seen in Europe - more than 700 miles.

Police followed the robbers’ car from the bank in the northwestern German town of Uelzen, through Poland and into Ukraine.

One of the women escaped during a refuelling stop near the southeastern Polish city of Lublin.

After hours of a 100 mph police pursuit, the gunmen managed to cross the border into Poland, pursued by helicopters and about 20 vehicles.

The robbers continued through Poland, and crossed the Ukrainian border near Lviv, more than 625 miles from the scene of the robbery.

Polish TV said the chase finally ended near Rivne, about 200 miles west of Ukraine’s capital, Kiev, where the two gunmen were captured and their 25-year-old hostage freed.

Polish Interior Minister Krysztof Janik, said he had allowed the robbers pass undisturbed through the country because they wanted to save the hostages first of all.

‘‘We could have stopped them many times, but the question is at what price,’’ Janik said . ‘‘We chose the health and life of innocent people.’’

He said shooting at a car driving at 150 kph would have been ‘‘unacceptable.’’

The German embassy in Kiev had appealed to Ukraine’s authorities to do everything possible to save the hostage’s life.

‘‘Our main concern is the life of that 25-year-old German woman,’’ said embassy spokeswoman Sabine Stor.