A Black Country thief who stole a car from a Kingswinford garage and a drill from B&Q in Halesowen to feed his drug habit has been jailed for two years nine months.

Craig Williams was driving another stolen vehicle taken from a garage in Great Bridge when he left a police constable fearing for his life as he tried to stop him stealing petrol.

The officer, Mr David Iles prosecuting told Wolverhampton Crown Court, clung onto the Citroen but he was finally forced to throw himself clear when he realised he was going to be hit by a nearby parked car.

Williams had been spotted feeding petrol through a window in the Citroen into a large canister by the officer and he quickly sped away from the scene.

He took the £2,000 Citroen from Great Bridge Cars after distracting a salesman and in carbon copy thefts drove off in two other vehicles from Cars and Commercials in Stallings Lane and a garage in Smethwick.

The two cars were sold to buy drugs, said Mr Iles, but Williams decided to hang onto the Citroen and the 40-year-old used it to make his getaway from B&Q in Mucklow Hill after stealing the £70 drill.

Williams of Colbourne Road, Tipton admitted assaulting the PC, theft, driving dangerously and while disqualified and he was further banned from driving for three years by Recorder John Edwards.