A man who was chased in a stolen JCB by police because he didn’t know how to stop the digger has been jailed for 20 weeks.

Alan Lamb, 34, of Star Lane in St Mary Cray, helped steal the vehicle from a building site in Erith in the early hours of yesterday, March 13.

Lamb appeared before Bexley magistrates today, March 14, who were told he attempted to drive the JCB to Dartford.

However, he didn’t know how to control the digger correctly as “there were lots of levers”, so when police signalled for him to stop, he could only let the vehicle slowly roll to a stop.

This meant police were only able to stop Lamb along Thames Road outside Dartford.

When the police approached Lamb in the JCB, he told them that “I have just nicked this and I’m wanted on recall to prison.”

When interviewed by the police further, he told them he was going to be paid money for the JCB and he needed the money because he owed two men for heroin and crack cocaine.

Family sitting in the public gallery laughed out loud while Lamb’s conviction was being read out before being told to stop or else they would be kicked out.

He was also wanted for the theft of £350 worth of coats from Peacocks in Orpington on December 17.

Lamb pleaded guilty to stealing the JCB and for the theft of the coats and was sentenced to 20 weeks in prison.