A man accused of a cash in transit robbery in Wimbledon yesterday is due to appear in court.

Police said a cash box was grabbed from a security guard outside the Worple Road Sainsburys store at about 11.15am yesterday.

Police launched a pursuit through Wimbledon involving a helicopter and at least 10 police cars.

A car was chased through Wimbledon Village to Victoria Drive, Southfields, when the vehicle mounted a pavement and hit a resident’s front wall before smashing into a tree outside Tudor Lodge health centre.

A cash box and ink-stained money were found nearby.

Jennifer Emerson, of estate agents Chesterton Humberts in Wimbledon Village, saw the commotion at about 11.45am.

She said: “We thought something must be going on because at least 10 police cars sped past the office and through the village in the Putney direction.

"There were a mixture of marked and unmarked cars and a police van.”

A spokesman for Sainsbury’s said CCTV footage of the incident had been found, and the supermarket would be co-operating with the police investigation.

Marlon Fletcher, 20, from Albion Avenue in Clapham is due to appear charged with robbery at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court today.