Flynn Clarke: Laughing gas found in car of Norwich City footballer who injured six people in crash

Nitrous oxide canisters were found in the car of a professional footballer who caused a head-on crash that ended up injuring six people, police have said.

Norwich City midfielder Flynn Clarke, 20, was driving four of his friends to a rave when he collided with a motorhome close to The Causeway roundabout on the A47 at Thorney, near Peterborough, in April last year.

A black Land Rover then ploughed into the back of the motorhome.

A witness said that Clarke had been driving "erratically" in the lead-up to the crash, and was seen weaving in and out of lanes.

He and the rest of the people in the car also appeared to be "distracted", the witness added.

Police confirmed that laughing gas tins were later found in Clarke's car, and there was "nothing wrong" with any of the vehicles involved in the collision, which happened during the afternoon of April 30.

Clarke escaped the crash with only minor injuries, along with two of his passengers - a 19-year-old man, and a 19-year-old woman.

However, two other 19-year-old men, who were seated in the back, suffered serious injuries, as did the 59-year-old male driver of the motorhome.

A 60-year-old woman, who was a passenger in the motorhome, suffered minor injuries.

The two people in the Land Rover weren't hurt.

Clarke, who joined the Canaries from Peterborough United in 2021, was sentenced to 12 months in prison at Peterborough Crown Court on Friday, having pleaded guilty to three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

He was also disqualified from driving for 30 months.

Reacting to the sentence, PC Alex Thomas said: "Clarke drove incredibly stupidly that day and caused an unnecessary crash that left six people with injuries, including four of his friends.

"The outcome could have been much worse. I hope he has learnt a lesson by seeing the consequences of driving so dangerously.” 

In a statement released on Friday, a spokesperson for Norwich City confirmed that the club will now "consider the matter internally" before deciding whether to take any further action.

Clarke is currently on loan at National League side Dagenham & Redbridge, and is yet to make a first team appearance for Norwich.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know