Man steals taxi outside Gatwick Airport after being refused one

A thief who stole a taxi from Gatwick Airport and drove it at speeds of over 130mph in an attempt to escape police has been spared jail.

Mohammed Ahmed stole a Mercedes taxi from Gatwick Airport’s South Terminal and sped off towards his home town of Walsall.

Footage released by Sussex Police shows Ahmed stealing the taxi, as well as the moment he lost a tyre driving at high speed after the police deployed a stinger.

Ahmed was finally arrested after driving into a cul-de-sac. At sentencing, he was disqualified from driving for 18 months and given a 14-month suspended prison sentence.