A DANGER driver in a stolen campervan immobilised two patrol cars and injured two officers when the police tried to box him in on a single lane road in Queensbury, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

Andrew Mitchell was spotted at the wheel of the Fiat motorhome at 6pm on October 24 after it had been taken from an address in Rawdon.

Mitchell, 34, of Bradford Road, Cleckheaton, was unlicensed and uninsured when he failed to stop for the police on a dark road with other vehicles and cyclists around, prosecutor Jonathan Sharp said.

When three patrol cars with blue lights flashing attempted to box him in to stop him, he swerved and struck one, pushing it across the road into a wall and a lamppost. The vehicle was immobilised and the two officers in it were injured.

Mitchell then hit a second police car, damaging the wheel arch and disabling it.

He mounted the pavement, narrowly missing parked vehicles and then turned into a cul-de-sac and jumped out of the moving van. It ran out of control before coming to stop after hitting a parked vehicle.

Mitchell was apprehended at the scene and said: 'I’m sorry.’ He later made some admissions but said the police had backed into him.

He went on to plead guilty to dangerous driving on Halifax Road and Simpson Street in Queensbury and driving without a licence or insurance.

He had 71 previous convictions for offences that included taking without consent, aggravated TWOC, vehicle interference and driving while disqualified.

His barrister, Stephen Uttley, said Mitchell never went more than 50mph in the pursuit and dropped to 20mph at some points.

It was not a deliberate act to ram the police car; he was swerving to avoid the patrol vehicle in front of him.

Mitchell, who was unemployed at the time, had a partner and a child, Mr Uttley said.

He knew he had been stupid to drive off like that and he was aware that an immediate jail sentence would be imposed.

Judge Andrew Hatton said Mitchell had tried to break out of the police vehicles boxing him in, injuring two officers, before jumping from the moving van.

He jailed him for 75 weeks and he was banned from driving for three years on his release. He must pass an extended retest before he can drive again.

Judge Hatton reminded the court that the maximum penalty for dangerous driving is ‘but two years’ imprisonment.

Mitchell was sentenced on a video link to HMP Leeds where he was remanded awaiting sentence.