Three arrested after stolen bus leads police on 30 mile chase
Joy riders took a bus on a five hour magical mystery tour of the West Midlands and Staffordshire which included a 30 mile police chase, and ended with three men being arrested.
The bus was stolen from Tinsley Street, Tipton, at around 9.40pm yesterday evening.
The theft was not discovered for some time but the police helicopter was called in to search for it after it had been reported missing.
It was spotted on the A41 at Albrighton at 2.50am this morning and a police pursuit started.
The chase lasted for around 30 miles, and saw two of the bus' tyres shredded when two stingers were used in a bid to stop it: one in Goldthorn Hill, Wolverhampton, and a second in Daisy Street, Coseley. The bus was eventually stopped and abandoned in Southall Crescent, Coseley, not far from where it had been stolen.
Three men attempted to run off but were detained nearby. The trio remain in police custody this morning and will be questioned about what happened later today. Two of the men are aged 20 and 39 and the third has refused to give his details.
Sergeant Karn Sharma, from Sandwell Police, said: "This was an unusual set of circumstances but we were able to quickly track down the vehicle and follow it.
"Highly trained officers deployed a stinger to safely bring the bus to a stop and all three men who were on-board have been arrested.
"We would ask anyone who saw anything suspicious either where the bus was stolen or in the area of Foundry Street in the early hours to call us as soon as possible."
Anyone with information can contact police on 101 or call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
