Barnsley police: Dangerous driver halted by 'stop stick' after high speed chase in a Transit

A balaclava-clad man in a Transit van attempted to ram a police car and drove off at 60mph after being asked to pull over.

The driver sped through red lights and residential areas with officers in pursuit after an attempted routine traffic stop in the Thurnscoe area of Barnsley just after midnight on Tuesday.

Police say after six minutes they were forced to use a ‘stop stick’ which burst three tires and brought the vehicle to a standstill. But the fugitive fled on foot. He was “quickly arrested” but a passenger got away.

Now the driver is facing multiple charges including failing to stop, dangerous driving, driving over the prescribed limit of drugs and going equipped.

A closer inspection of the vehicle showed it appeared to have cloned plates and is understood to have been stolen from the West Yorkshire area. Police say they also conducted  a drugs wipe test and found “items used in the theft of vehicles” in the van. The 35 year-old remains in police custody.

Roads Policing Chf Insp Pete Spratt said: “Roads policing officers are highly trained in bringing those who pose a risk on our roads and use our roads for criminality to a stop and before the courts.

“Throughout a pursuit our officers will continually monitor the risk that the suspect is posing and adjust their tactics to bring the car to a stop. A stop stick deployment has to be quick, with precision to be effective, but allows us to slow the vehicle down and bring it to a stop.

“Criminals use the road network to commit their crimes, and we are passionate about intercepting them and bringing them before the courts.”