Police chase ends in sticky situation for cops and suspects

The pursuit started on the motorway and ended up in a rather sticky situation in a field in the Black Country.

Motorway officers travelling on the M5 between J1 and the M6 chased a stolen van after Automated Number Plate Recognition cameras flagged up its false plates yesterday morning.

Police said the vehicle, which was followed through Featherstone, Westcroft and The Scotlands, failed to stop and was eventually abandoned in parkland in Park Village, Wolverhampton.

A marked BMW police car then got stuck in the muddy field where the van had driven on to, as did an unmarked Audi which was part of the pursuit.

Police called on a passing 4x4 to help salvage the vehicles.

When that too got stuck, a tractor was called to finally put an end to the saga.

But that too got stuck as its huge wheels churned up the grass in land on Nine Elms Lane off Cannock Road.

An even bigger tractor was then called, and managed to put an end to the affair.

Three men, aged 28, 32 and 33, in the van were arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle after the 20-minute pursuit, which started at around 6.45am yesterday.

Officers from the Central Motorway Police Group took to twitter to post pictures of the aftermath as their vehicles were pulled clear of the quagmire.

Pictures showed the marked BMW and unmarked Audi in the churned-up mud.

Another photograph showed the line of stranded vehicles with the smaller tractor attempting to tow a 4x4 which in turn is towing the Audi.

A statement from West Midlands Police said: "At around 6.45am motorway police travelling on the M5 between junctions 1 and the M6 pursued a van after it activated the Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) equipment on board for bearing false plates.

"The vehicle failed to stop and was eventually abandoned in parkland on Nine Elms Lane off Cannock Road in Wednesfield."

Three men, aged 28, 32 and 33, in the van were apprehended and arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle.