Latest news straight to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A suspected thief could be set for some porridge after a stolen milk float packed with breakfast deliveries took police on a high-speed chase through Birmingham in the early hours of this morning.

The fastest milk float in the West Midlands was eventually snared by the cream of the region’s cops using a stinger to puncture the vehicle’s tyres following the pursuit along city centre streets.

The heavily-laden delivery truck was taken from Hill Street in the city centre at about 3.55am this morning and was spotted by police officers being driven the wrong way along the A45 near Camp Hill Circus.

A trail of bread and milk was spilled on the city’s streets as the van skimmed past oncoming traffic as cops tailed the stolen truck. It was eventually halted when police deployed the stinger in Withdean Close, off Golden Hillock Road, in Small Heath.

A 28-year-old man was arrested and remains in police custody on suspicion of vehicle theft, dangerous driving, refusing to take a breath test, driving while disqualified, and failing to stop for officers.

West Midlands Police incident manager Chief Insp Simon Pemberton said: “It’s not often our officers are called to pursue a milk van.

“The van was being driven very erratically and dangerously, at times on the wrong side of major A-roads, so a decision was taken to deflate its tyres with a ‘stinger’.

“Even when the milk van was boxed in down a cul-de-sac the driver was revving his engine aggressively and shunted into one of the police cars.

“Our officers managed to bring the pursuit to a successful conclusion – no other vehicles were damaged and no other members of the public were hurt.”