A DROITWICH driver was left shocked after being caught up in an armed police chase for a wanted man in Bath in which he wrongly had his tyres deflated by a ‘stinger’.
Nathan Pole, owner of NP DIGITAL Aerial and satellite services, was down south for work and drove over the stinger in the middle of the road which punctured three of his tyres.
When Mr Pole started his 90-mile journey home he noticed a man hiding behind a tree by the Ston Easton Park Hotel on the A37 who he said looked very strange.
He carried on down the road at about 25mph when he saw something moving on the ground, which turned out to be the police stinger, and had to slam down his brakes.
“I nearly had a heart attack as three of my tyres deflated and the fourth was damaged.
“My jaw dropped thinking what the hell have I done? ”
When Mr Stote tried to leave his vehicle and saw the police helicopter behind him along with two armed officers, one of whom shouted at him to get back in the van.
“Not knowing what to do I got back in shut the door and tried my best not to get shot.”
Minutes later an officer came over and, noticing he was scarred, asked him to move the van off the road so he could explain.
Mr Pole was told officers were looking a man who had been using explosives to steal from cash machines and had ‘got the wrong vehicle’.
The police sent a truck to collect the van and take it to the compound but told Mr Pole he would have had to pay a £150 charge which he refused to do.
Luckily he had rented the van from Northgate Vehicle Hire and called them for assistance. he explained the situation and they sent a mechanic to fit new tyres and covered the cost for the shaken man.
“They were amazing and I am really grateful to them and to my amazing partner for picking my daughter up for me because i did not get back to Droitwich until 9pm.
“On the way home I received a call from one of the officer who said they traced the offender to a hotel in Bristol and surrounded the place but he got away.”
An Avon and Somerset Police spokesperson said: “This man was stopped by officers during the unfolding investigation to locating a high risk wanted person.
“No firearms were drawn and the man was told to return to his vehicle for his own safety – this was a busy road.
“He was then driven by officers to a recovery centre where his vehicle was taken.”
“He was contacted later the same day by an officer to explain why this had happened but if he is unhappy with this, we would ask that he makes a formal complaint.
“We can then look into the full circumstances around this.”
