A hero policeman has told how he wrestled with the controls of a runaway eight-tonne stolen digger to prevent it smashing into traffic and houses.

PC Adam Beecroft had been on duty with his partner PC Johnny Green when they spotted a man driving the machine and talking on his mobile phone at the same time.

They flashed their blue lights to stop him when the man suddenly jumped from the vehicle’s cockpit and ran off, leaving the £35,000 vehicle free-wheeling at high speed down Long Lane at Harden and its rear swing arm swaying out-of-control from side to side. While PC Green chased the driver, PC Beecroft chased after the tractor and managed to jump onboard as it headed towards a stone cottage and oncoming traffic.

He struggled with the controls before finally bringing the machine to a halt in the nick of time.

PC Beecroft said: “It was just a relief to finally get it stopped. I had to run as quickly as I could to jump on the tractor. It was really moving at a pace after it started rolling downhill.

“I thought it was going to go right through the parked cars and then into the house.”

He added: “At least one car had been forced to pull out of the way as I attempted to get control of the machine which was starting to zig- zag.

“I jumped into the cabin and pressed the brake which didn’t work and then just started pressing all the buttons.

“Eventually I must have hit something which allowed the brakes to kick in bringing it back under control.”

PC Beecroft and his colleague have been praised by their commander, Inspector Andy Croasdale of the Bingley NPT, who said: “PCs Beecroft and Green are two of our finest officers and I am really pleased to have them working at Bingley.

“I will be nominating them for further recognition by senior officers.”

Investigations revealed the machine was one of two which had been stolen at about 3.25pm on Saturday from a nearby compound at the bottom entrance to the St Ives Estate near Bingley.

The other stolen machine, a £50,000 JCB Forklift, has still not been found.

The suspect, who got away despite being chased, was described as slim, 5ft 10ins with mousy brown short hair, wearing a black short sleeved T-shirt and grey trousers.

Anyone with information should call Bingley NPT on 01274 475331.