Suspected far-right attacker 'intentionally' rams car into crowd of Syrian and Afghan citizens in Germany

Driver, 50, tries three times to strike pedestrians with his vehicle, police say

Four people have been injured after a man intentionally drove into a crowd of people in Germany in what appeared to be a racist far-right attack, police said.

Those hit by the car included Syrian and Afghan citizens and the driver made anti-foreigner comments during his arrest, according to officials.

The man, who fled the scene, made racist comments when he was later stopped and arrested, according to a statement by local police and prosecutors.

"Investigators suspect it was a deliberate attack that may be linked to the xenophobic views of the driver," the statement said.

Police in the city of Bottrop, in western Germany, said a 50-year-old man drove at a pedestrian, who managed to get out of the way of the vehicle, shortly after midnight on New Year's Day.

He then drove into the city centre, allegedly ramming a crowd with his Mercedes before fleeing towards the nearby city of Essen where he attempted to drive into a group of people waiting at a bus stop, German newspaper Die Zeit reported.

Police said the attack was presumed to be premeditated.

One of the four injured people remains in hospital, a police spokesperson said.

Police said there were indications the suspect is mentally ill.

Angela Luettmann, a spokeswoman for Muenster police, couldn't immediately confirm whether the driver was German but said he came from Essen.

In April, a German man drove a van into a crowd in Muenster, killing four people and injuring dozens.

The driver, who had sought psychological help in the weeks preceding the attack, then killed himself.

On 19 December 2016, a Tunisian man ploughed a truck into a busy Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people.

The attack was claimed by Isis and the driver, who fled the scene, was later killed in a shoot-out with police in Italy.