Bungling thief leaps into van and crashes it

The driver of a white Ford Transit van is believed to have been making deliveries in Olive Road when a man jumped into the driving seat of the vehicle and sped off.

Catching the thief in the act, the driver gave chase to the vehicle and tried to get in the door of the van before it hit two parked cars and ended up smashing into a garden wall.

Chase "The van must have travelled about 200 metres before it stopped," said eyewitness Steve Brown who was driving along the road in the Aldermoor area of the city as the drama unfolded.

"I could see the driver of the van delivering goods in cardboard boxes and then saw someone jump in the van and start to drive off.

"The delivery man then gave chase and managed to catch up the van. There was a bit of a struggle and the van then hit two cars and crashed straight through a garden wall."

Mr Brown, retired from Romsey, said he was shocked to witness the event. "I was driving to Sainsbury's to get some petrol and I was driving along the road and thinking about something else," he said.

"Then I saw the man jump in the van and I stopped. The van then moved in front of me where it continued until it crashed."

Mr Brown stopped to take photographs of the aftermath of the scene when he remembered he had a digital camera in his car. "It's not everyday you see something like this," he added.

An ambulance was called to the scene at around 11am on Tuesday morning and the driver of the van was taken to Southampton General Hospital with minor head injuries.

The would-be thief fled the scene before police arrived and a spokesperson for Southampton police said officers are now looking for anyone with any information about the incident.

The man who tried to steal the van is described as white, in his mid 30s of a medium build. He was wearing a dark blue top and had a slight stubble appearance.

Call Southampton police on 0845 045 4545 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.