Bilsthorpe campervan thief handed prison sentence after police arrest him just three minutes after it was reported stolen

The police officer was heading along the A617 in response to an incident at Newark when he saw a campervan heading along Kirklington Road, from Bilsthorpe, joining the A617 in front of him. After it began to gain speed the officer said he realised something wasn’t right.

He then received a message on his radio that a campervan had been stolen from the driveway of a home in Bilsthorpe. He quickly signalled for the campervan to stop and the driver, 47-year-old Ian Hall, of John Rous Avenue, Coventry, was arrested, just three minutes after the campervan was reported stolen.

Hall was jailed for a total of 12 months when he appeared at Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on Tuesday, June 2, after pleading guilty to theft of a motor vehicle, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.

He was also handed a 42-month driving ban and must take an extended retest after his ban ends.

Hall stole the campervan from an address in Kirklington Road, Bilsthorpe, during the early hours of May 4, 2020.

Detective Sergeant Rick Ellis, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was a distressing incident for the victim so I’m pleased we were able to arrest Hall so quickly following the theft of his motorhome.

“I hope that now Hall is locked up and off our streets it will provide him with some comfort.”