Police chase ends in the wood (5)
I believe the answer is:
copse
'wood' is the definition.
(a copse is a small wood)
'police chase ends in' is the wordplay.
'police' becomes 'ops' (I've seen this in other clues).
'ends' suggests removing the centre.
'in' indicates putting letters inside.
'chase' with its middle removed is 'ce'.
'ops' placed inside 'ce' is 'COPSE'.
'the' is the link.
(Other definitions for copse that I've seen before include "Small group of trees" , "spinney" , "Dense growth of bushes or trees" , "Wood - thicket" , "Coppice" .)