A thief who stole a transit van and then set it on fire has been jailed for a year at Chester Crown Court. Jamie Foster, a 21-year-old from Ellesmere Port, was found with a burnt-out white transit van in May. The vehicle in question had been stolen in Whitby.

Foster had used a screwdriver to break into the vehicle, before breaking the steering lock with his feet and then hot-wiring it. Although he was subsequently released on bail, he was then seen in a stolen Vauxhall Astra taken in Ellesmere Port. Police pursued him, with Foster doing a hand-brake turn and heading into oncoming traffic at one point. After being chased on foot, he was then arrested.

In sentencing, the judge referred to the second crime, saying:

“It’s a privilege to be given bail and the court expects you will respect that privilege and not go on to commit more crime.”

Vans are often targets for theft, which underlines the importance of having appropriate van insurance. While they are not necessarily stolen, many thieves target them due to the fact that they are likely to have valuable tools and the like inside them.