WATCH: Police in Mansfield stop drink-driver in 120mph pursuit through Ashfield

Specially trained Nottinghamshire officers were called in to assist after a man was spotted driving erratically near the Watchorn Island, Alfreton, Derbyshire. The driver refused to pull over and drove off at high speed along the A38.

He then took a swift exit onto the B600 and raced through Somercotes and into Nottinghamshire, hurtling through Selston and Underwood at speed before joining the northbound M1 at junction 27.

Realising the ever-increasing risks the driver was taking, more units from both Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire joined the chase and attempted to box the Seat Leon in. It became critical for officers to stop the car as a long pursuit ensued, crossing county boundaries, travelling at high speeds and taking officers through various small villages and back on to main roads.

The pursuit was brought to a halt after he crashed into a wall at the junction of Rosemary Street and Chesterfield Road, Mansfield. He then reversed into a Nottinghamshire Police armed response vehicle – causing nearly £4,000 of damage to the car. Fortunately, there were no injuries to the officers.

The man was arrested at the scene and provided a positive roadside breath test following the pursuit, which started at around 1.50am on 14 December 2020.

Armed Response Sergeant James Carrington, of Nottinghamshire Police, helped to manage the tactical pursuit as it headed into Nottinghamshire and beyond.

He said: “We first got involved after our Derbyshire roads policing colleagues shouted up on the regional channel we use whenever support is needed.

“As we had specially trained tactical pursuit officers available, we picked up the information, deployed a team who could help and we all swiftly dropped in behind as the pursuit headed onto the M1 and into Nottinghamshire.

“We had heard that the driver was taking some significant risks and so it was really important to be on the car’s tail as soon as we could. Our priority is always to keep the public and other road users safe, and as such we needed to stop it as soon as we could.

“I was directing as Chalkey – PC Darren Chalk – drove. After going through Selston and Underwood, we then headed back up the M1, out of Nottinghamshire, and we followed the car off at Junction 29. This took us west into Derbyshire and on to some really dark, rural roads, which were unfamiliar to us.

“The risks he’d taken were already dangerous, but as we went down these roads he then proceeded to switch his lights off.

“Fortunately, we very often work with neighbouring forces when pursuits take us out of our area. The officers we work with during a cross-border pursuit have the same skills as us, so we were really able to come together as one big team to relay information, commentate on how the pursuit was progressing and ultimately not lose sight of the car.

“I think it’s fair to say his time and luck ran out as he headed back up the A38 and into Mansfield. He flew past the courts and the shopping centre and lost control, going into a wall. At that point we were right behind him – when there’s a big team of us it makes it very difficult for them to get away.

“He didn’t give up though. He tried his best to get out of the box we had created once this crash had happened, ramming one of our cars in the process. We do see this happen quite a lot when someone being pursued is absolutely desperate to get away, but ultimately he had damaged his car and these attempts were no match for the teams on the ground, leading to him being arrested.”

In custody, Asam Hussain,28, of no-fixed address, blew a reading of 76 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, exceeding the legal limit of 35.

Hussain was also found to be disqualified from driving and was eventually charged with dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, driving without insurance, failing to stop for police and drink-driving.

He appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday 26 January 2021, where he pleaded guilty to all charges. He was sentenced to 10 months in prison and disqualified from driving for five years and five months.

Sergeant Carrington added: “We were pleased we could support our colleagues in Derbyshire, and despite one of our armed response vehicles suffering damage in the process, it was a relief to be able to bring this long and dangerous pursuit to an end in Mansfield.

“We will absolutely investigate and work together with our neighbouring forces when required as we did in this case, to ensure the safety of everyone on the road and those who break the law are brought to justice – this kind of driving puts lives at risk.

“I am pleased to hear the driver got a custodial sentence and we hope that when the public watch this on Police Interceptors they get a real sense of how seriously we take this and all the different elements we have to manage during a cross border pursuit.”

Inspector Greg Hunt, who leads the roads policing team in Derbyshire, said: “That nobody was killed or seriously hurt as a result of Hussain’s actions is simply pure luck.

“Drunk and disqualified, he put the lives of every other person on the road at risk with his actions that night – along with the officers who eventually brought him to justice.

“This case goes to show the fantastic cross-border work with our colleagues in Nottinghamshire and I hope sends the message that we don’t simply stop when you cross over into any of our neighbouring forces. If anything, you are just doubling your problems.”

Meanwhile, the knife crime team are led to a cannabis grow after cops stop a driver with drugs in his boot – and the roads team sniff out a drug driver.

All this and more on tonight’s Police Interceptors - Channel 5 at 8pm.

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