Watch Derbyshire police officer's encounter with driver of suspected stolen van in clip from Channel 5 series Traffic Cops

The van was removed from a driveway without using keys and the suspects changed number plates to disguise the stolen vehicle. In a clip released from the show, an officer pursuing the van said: “We always crew on our own and because I know that they’re wanted for a crime that desire makes it more dangerous for me to deal with and you have to know where your back-up’s coming from.”

Four police units and a helicopter are on the trail of the suspected stolen van in the episode of Traffic Cops. The programme shows officers targeting criminals stealing vans, banned drivers in vans and thieves in vans on the run. It is estimated that 1,000 vans are stolen in the UK every month.

Traffic Cops goes out tonight (Monday, March 25) at 8pm and will later be available on catch-up channels.