A VAN driver who led the police on a high speed chase through Bradford’s rush hour traffic told officers they only caught up with him because his vehicle had run out of fuel.

Joseph Shields, 28, forced oncoming cars to mount the pavement and jumped a red light during the pursuit between Galloway Lane in Pudsey and Parsonage Road, Bradford.

Shields, of Tranter Grove, Tyersal, Bradford, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving on April 9 last year.

The length of time the case took to come to court was a factor in Judge Colin Burn’s decision to suspend his prison sentence.

Prosecutor Michael Smith told Bradford Crown Court this week that Shields had 11 previous convictions for 19 offences, including aggravated vehicle taking.

Since committing the dangerous driving, he had been sentenced for careless driving and driving while disqualified, the court heard.

The court was told that Shields attracted the attention of the police at 8.30am when he pulled in front of a bus narrowly avoiding a collision.

He gesticulated at the driver and then sped off at 57mph in a 30 zone.

He was pursued along Bradford Road when he undertook, weaving in and out of the heavy traffic in a dangerous and aggressive way.

Vehicles on Dick Lane mounted the pavement to avoid him and he ran a red light, the court was told.

The van slowed right down on Parsonage Road and Shields was arrested at the wheel, the court was told.

“He told the police they only caught up with him because he ran out of fuel,” Mr Smith said.

The untaxed van was seized by the police and scrapped.

Shields’ barrister, Ian Hudson, said the chase latest between three and five minutes.

There was no collision during the incident and no one was injured by the driving, the court heard.

His client did not receive the postal requisition telling him to attend court until January 29.

He had not committed any offences since the driving while disqualified in October.

Shields was progressing well on the community order he received for that offence, Mr Hudson said.

He was doing joinery work and the court was told that his partner was expecting their child.

Prison was now a harsher environment than usual, Mr Hudson stated, with inmates kept in their cells 23 hours a day and no social visits.

He told Judge Burn he was entitled to take that into account when deciding if Shields should go immediately to jail.

Shields was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, with 120 hours of unpaid work.

He was banned from driving for 18 months.

Shields must also obey a four month curfew order and attend up to 20 days of rehabilitation activity.