99mph chase fuel thief behind bars

A fuel thief who led police on a 99mph chase towards his home in Shropshire, running red lights and driving on the wrong side of the road, has been locked up.

Mohammed Arif, who has never taken a driving test, overtook traffic waiting at red lights at 60mph and sped through Wolverhampton after stealing just £38 of petrol from a supermarket petrol station.

The 20-year-old later hit 99mph before being caught after abandoning the Rover saloon in a car park near his home in Whitchurch.

Arif, of High Street, admitted dangerous driving and making off without payment from a petrol station on September 13, when he appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday. He was ordered to be detained in a Young Offenders Institution for 17 months.

Prosecutor, Mr Paul Reid said the vehicle was spotted by police in Parkfields area of Wolverhampton several hours after driving away from the Asda forecourt without paying.

Arif accelerated away when he realised the car was being followed and raced along the city's ring road at 64mph before overtaking traffic waiting at red lights in Chapel Ash at 60 mph and reaching 80mph in a 30mph limit on Tettenhall Road, the court heard.

Mr Reid said: "The car went through several sets of red lights, made a number of dangerous overtaking manoeuvres and occasionally drove on the wrong side of the road."

Arif swerved away from a police bid to box in the Rover, sped past a patrol car at 90 mph and took a roundabout as 70mph as the pursuit headed into Shropshire where officers from the West Mercia force joined the chase.

He careered over speed bumps before dumping the Rover in a pub car park in Whitchurch and fleeing on foot with the other two occupants of the vehicle, Mr Reid said.

Police managed to corner Arif nearby.