Stinger ends dramatic Wolverhampton police chase

The chase began as dozens of police cars were deployed along the A41 Bilston Road at around 2.40pm on Saturday.

Passersby reported seeing three or four unmarked police cars pursuing a car along the road.

Police officers jumped out to divert a bus before placing a stinger - a spike strip which punctures tyres - in the road in Stowheath Lane, just outside of the city centre.

Three more unmarked police cars and four patrol cars followed, before a silver Citroen C4 Coupé punctured its tyres as it sped over the stinger, witnesses said.

A woman was then removed from the vehicle and handcuffed before being taken to the back of a waiting police car.

People travelling on the number 79 bus, which is currently being diverted down Stowheath Lane due to the ongoing roadworks on Bilston Road, reported seeing and hearing a police helicopter circling overhead.

Police dogs were also on the scene as officers entered houses and back gardens along the road.

Stowheath Lane resident David Evans, aged 55, was watching TV when the fleet of police cars arrived.

"It all happened so fast, it was absolute chaos," Mr Evans said.

"I've never seen anything like it. I was with my 78-year-old mother and she was a bit frightened by it all.

"I was just sitting watching TV when the unmarked and then marked police cars flew past.

"Then police officers got out and stopped a bus along the road that acted a bit like a blockade.

"They took out a black case from the boot of one of the cars and I was worried it might be a gun but it was the stinger they put in the road.

"The next thing we saw was police in the back gardens and a car go over the stinger.

"A woman was handcuffed and put in the back of one of the cars.

"It felt like the start of World War Three."

During the drama, traffic was at a standstill while police mounted the grass verges and blue lights flashed from inside the unmarked cars.

Locals gathered on their front lawns to watch and youngsters on bikes crowded around the punctured car as police waited for it to be taken away.

At around 3.30pm, a removal truck arrived and police officers controlled the traffic as the car was loaded on to the back of the truck and taken away.

Speaking of the incident, Councillor Stephen Simkins, Labour councillor for Bilston East said: "It must be fairly serious as the police have clearly deployed a lot of resources on this.

"I imagine that they will be calling on people who know anything to get in touch with them and I suggest we leave it to the police and other professionals to deal with."

West Midlands Police has been contacted for comment.