A 38-year-old man who left an elderly woman distraught after he stole her car has been jailed after pleading guilty to the offence.

The elderly victim had been visiting her friend in Headley Chase, Warley when she briefly left the engine of her Vauxhall Corsa running on the driveway only to return and find it had been stolen.

She was so distressed by the experience that a builder who was working nearby had to come to her assistance. Fortunately, he had seen the car driven off and was able to point the police in the correct direction.

A thorough search of the area, which included CID undercover officers, uniformed officers, a police helicopter and dog unit, was carried out.

Dc Mel Keen and Dc Matt Wigg followed the pursuit in an unmarked vehicle, with Dc Keen providing a commentary throughout as the stolen vehicle turned into a cul-de-sac. As the unmarked car followed it in, the male driver decamped from the vehicle but was quickly detained by the two Dcs.

Thomas Enever, 38, of Hampden Crescent, Warley was later charged with theft of a motor vehicle, using a motor vehicle without insurance and driving whilst disqualified.

He was pleaded guilty at Basildon Magistrates' Court on Friday, February 27, 2015 and was sentenced to 13 weeks' imprisonment and banned from driving for 12 months.

Dc Wigg said: “Brentwood CID target criminals proactively and are always out and about looking for suspects coming into Brentwood to commit crime. We are sometimes overt in marked cars and other times in unmarked vehicles.

“We believe that proactive policing reduces crime and reassures the public, and this arrest is an example of proactive policing working".