Man drives van into oncoming Sheffield traffic and on pavement during terrifying police chase

It ended a terrifying chase which had seen the driver taking the vehicle onto footpaths, driving the wrong way around roundabouts and travelling on the wrong side of one of the city’s busiest main roads.

One officer suffered minor injuries in the incident, which police have revealed happened on Wednesday and left both of the police patrol cars, and the van that was pursued, damaged.

Officers had been tailing the car before the pursuit because they had suspected the driver to have been involved in crimes.

It failed to stop after being sighted in Gleadless, first for local officers and then for a specialist police motorcyclist and then for an unmarked police car.

A spokesman for South Yorkshire Police Operational Support said: “The driving from the van driver left a lot to be desired as he careered around Manor and Arbourthorne using footpaths and driving the wrong way round roundabouts.

“Eventually it entered Prince of Wales Road heading into oncoming traffic, first along the footpath and then back onto the road, with a complete disregard for anyone.

“The officer driving the marked car put herself in harm's way, suffering only minor injuries fortunately, to stop the male driving the van any further, hitting it more or less head on, before pushing it back and to a stop.”

Police said the 36 year old man driving was arrested. They added he was also recalled to prison.