WATCH the moment a Brit workman embarks on a high-speed van chase with alleged tool thieves who pinched his goods.
Dezzie Dodd, a self-employed contractor, gave chase in Shifnal, Shropshire earlier this month after he claims that two men nicked tools out the back of his van.
With wife Kyle in the passenger seat, Dezzie’s hair-raising chase was caught on camera as he issued updates to 999 responders on the other end of the phone throughout.
The video, filmed from Kylie’s perspective, begins with the workman veering off a junction in a town centre as he races after a Renault Trafic van in front of him.
Dezzie can be heard reading the numberplate of the van off to a call handler who he has on the line as the alleged thieves ahead of him try to outrun their pursuer.
The video then cuts to the Renault van fleeing from Shifnal as the 999 operator asks which direction they’re driving, and Dezzie responds: “They’re heading out of Shifnal now.”
He continues: “They’ve both got masks on. I know it’s the van because he just sped off as soon as he seen me, I’m in pursuit like I said.”
The Renault in front can be seen racing past traffic, causing one car to reverse further into its junction to avoid being hit before the van swerves to avoid an oncoming BMW and bounces off the kerb.
Referring to if and when he eventually catches the alleged thieves, Dezzie warns his wife: “You do not get out the van at all.”
As they approach another roundabout at breakneck speed Dezzie relays his intentions to the 999 operator, saying: “I am in pursuit.
“I’m going to let you know I’m going to be following him, so I want police services with me.
“Because if I get a hold of these two, I will be going to prison, because I am going to be smashing them in with whatever is in the rest of my van, do you understand?”
The 999 operator pauses for a moment before responding: “Right, I understand. As your coming out of Shifnal are you going along Park Street?”
Kylie chimes in to explain, “We’re going towards Tong” as Dezzie adds: “I’m going along the Tong road – I’m just trying to think of what the roads called now, it’s towards Tong.”
The Renault van in front can then be seen wildly veering out into the opposite lane to overtake a fellow motorist in an attempt to put some distance between the two as they round a corner.
Dezzie follows suit though and hits the accelerator as he continues to give chase on the open country roads.
The clip was shared to social media on Sunday by Kylie with the caption: “Van got broken into while getting me from work in Shifnal, Shropshire.”
The video has since gained over 227,000 likes and more than 3,200 comments from users stunned by Dezzie’s pursuit.
One user said: “My brother’s van was robbed of all the tools at Premier Inn [in] London. Security and police did nothing.”
Another added: “If you stopped them and hit them you could claim that it was heat of the moment, but after telling the call handler you are going to do it means you can be prosecuted ‘with intent’.”
A third replied: “Same old story the police don’t care I had my pick-up stolen, the old bill did nothing it’s getting common now in Essex.”
Another wrote: “’In pursuit’? What an absolute wally, thinks he’s in an episode of the sweeney.”
A fifth commented: “No tools, no work. That’s his bread and butter, good luck pal, hope you got them back.”
Speaking today a spokesperson for West Mercia Police said: “On Friday 8 January at 2:35pm we received a report of a van that had been broken into.
“The victim was pursuing a vehicle which he believed the suspects were in. He was advised to keep himself safe and remain within the laws of the road.
“Enquiries in to the theft are ongoing.”
