West Midlands Police has released dramatic in-car and helicopter footage showing the pursuit of Erdington man Julian Allen as he sped along the A452 in Castle Bromwich at more than 120mph.

Allen, from Perrys Lane, can be seen careering the wrong way round a roundabout, narrowly avoiding collisions as he drives into on-coming traffic, and performing a hand-break turn in a desperate bid to evade capture.

The 25-year-old's driving was so dangerous that traffic officers were forced to abandon the pursuit – but the police helicopter kept tabs on the 25-year-old's movements as he ditched the car and fled into gardens.

High-tech thermal imaging cameras allowed operators to keep pace with Allen as he leapt garden fences before crouching down on a garage roof.

However, minutes later traffic officers and a police sniffer dog were guided to his hiding place by the force's eye in the sky and he was soon in a police cell.

He went on to admit dangerous driving and handling stolen goods and at Birmingham Crown Court on May 28 was jailed for 30 months.

West Midlands Police Traffic Manager, Chief Inspector Kerry Blakeman, said: "This was a textbook example of the force helicopter and traffic units working together to track and arrest a dangerous offender.

"Our drivers are highly trained to pursue vehicles safely…but if the manner of driving is so extreme that following it could endanger other road users or pedestrians then we may hold back and let the helicopter take over.

"Allen may have thought he'd given us the slip…but he was quickly proved wrong."

The Mini Cooper driven by Allen was stolen overnight between 24-25 March following a car-key burglary at a flat in Sutton Road, Walsall.