A British police officer caught up in a high-speed car chase has been hailed a legend for arresting a man by barking and pretending to be a dog.

Police Constable Steve 'Oscar' Hutton has also confessed it is not the first time he has resorted to the unusual tactic to apprehend suspects on the run.

The turn of events began when the 44-year-old, of Wiltshire Police’s roads policing tri force team, was called to join another police unit in the early hours of Thursday morning, after a suspicious vehicle with four young people inside was spotted in Malmesbury.

A vehicle pursuit ensued. It ended when officers deployed a spike strip, causing a blowout and forcing the suspects' vehicle off the road.

Four suspects fled from the stopped vehicle.

Hutton chased one of them. "I shouted out I was a police dog handler and to stay still. I then let out a couple of barks," the officer said.

"I must have had a convincing bark because he stopped. He turned around and looked confused. There was a few seconds that passed and he looked bewildered there wasn’t a dog. I thought I’ve got to get to him quickly before he realised."

In the nick of time Hutton managed to get to the man and he was arrested and taken to the police station on suspicion of aggravated taking a vehicle without consent, USA Today reports.