A man who hijacked a lorry at knifepoint and drove it dangerously through residential streets has been sentenced to prison.

Bradley Burns, 25, threatened a lorry driver with a knife while she was parked in a 12-tonne gritter truck at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on Mindelshon Way. Forcing her out of the cab, Burns commandeered the lorry and drove recklessly through Selly Oak, Bournville and Weoley Castle.

The drama unfolded on 25 February 2023 when Burns was pursued by officers who had to retreat and call in the National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopter for support.

Helicopter footage shows Burns driving through streets in a bid to evade capture. He deliberately crashed into a stationary caravan and taunted the helicopter before driving onto grassland on Ruthall Close, where he was cornered.

Realising the helicopter was overhead and officers were closing in, Burns, from Abdon Avenue, Birmingham, poured petrol over himself and the lorry’s cab. Officers managed to negotiate his surrender, and he was arrested for robbery.

Burns pleaded guilty to robbery and dangerous driving at an earlier hearing and was sentenced last week at Birmingham Crown Court to six and a half years in jail.

Detective Constable David Wilson, from Birmingham’s crime team, said: “This is an absolutely amazing result which provides some justice for our victim for what must have been a very frightening experience.

“It’s testament to the strength of the work of all officers involved that such a substantial sentence has been handed down, removing this person from our streets for a significant time.”