Man arrested after police find him hiding on an island in the middle of a Dudley lake

The suspect was found shivering in bushes on Tuesday morning having jumped into water off Birmingham New Road, Dudley − known locally as the Donkey Pool − in a botched bid to shake off pursuing police officers.

The man had been pursued for around six minutes – at one stage travelling at 75mph on the wrong side of a dual carriageway – before its tyres were ‘stung’ by police and he made fled off to the pool.

Firefighters arrived with a dinghy and night-vision cameras and the man was located before being taken to hospital suffering from hypothermia.

He remains in police custody on suspicion of dangerous driving, car theft and three burglaries in the early hours of Tuesday morning – one in Sovereign Way, Moseley, and two in Oldbury's Walton Road.

Detectives are also questioning the man, from Dudley, on suspicion of committing five other burglaries between December 27 and June 13.

West Midlands Police Sergeant Leighton Shingles, said: “This was a great spot by patrol officers and, with the help of our fire service colleagues, we were able to bring the suspect back from the island he’d marooned himself on.

“He was soaking wet and clearly suffering from hypothermia having leapt into the water and swam out to the island. There was nowhere for him to go and it was only a matter of time before he was in police custody.

“This is a significant arrest for us: the man is wanted over a series of burglaries, including ones where high-value cars were stolen."