A thug stole a lorry at knifepoint and ‘battered’ Birmingham police in a ‘reckless’ chase.

Shocking CCTV footage of the moment a thug tried to light himself and a lorry he stole burst into flames following a police chase has been released. Bradley Burns stole a van at knife point before driving ‘recklessly’ through residential streets in Birmingham.

Burns, 25, threatened a lorry driver with a knife as she was parked in a 12-tonne barbecue lorry at a hospital on Mindelshon Way. The 25-year-old forced the driver out of the cab before taking control of the truck.

Shocking aerial footage captured by the National Police Air Service (NPAS) shows Burns wreaking havoc on the streets of Birmingham and Bournville in the stolen 12-tonne lorry, including “taunting” officers above with a petrol can. Bradley Burns, 25, of Abdon Avenue in Birmingham, was jailed for six-and-a-half years at Birmingham Crown Court last week.

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West Midlands Police told how on February 25, 2023, Burns was chased by officers after he stole the lorry. However, they had to pull back and call in the National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopter after it tried to ram a police vehicle.

With public safety a number one priority, Burns was followed by helicopter and traffic officers. Helicopter footage shows Burns driving through the streets in an attempt to evade officers.

He deliberately crashes into a stationary caravan and taunts the helicopter as officers are directed to his location, where he drives into the meadow on Ruthall Close and is cornered.

Knowing the helicopter was above him and officers closing in on Burns, who is from Abdon Avenue in Birmingham, then pouring petrol over him and the cab of the truck.

Officers were eventually able to get Burns to surrender and he was arrested for robbery. He pleaded guilty to robbery and dangerous driving at an earlier hearing and was jailed for six-and-a-half years at Birmingham Crown Court last week.

Detective Constable David Wilson, from Birmingham Crime Squad, said: “This is an absolutely amazing result which gives our victim a bit of justice for what must have been a very frightening experience.

“It is a testament to the hard work of all the officers involved that such a substantial sentence has been handed down, taking this person off our streets for a significant period of time.”