A fingertip search took on new meaning for police in Bradford when they recovered a a human finger during a chase.

Officers from Toller Lane were pursuing a stolen car along Walker Drive, Girlington, Bradford when it crashed into a lamppost.

One of the suspects was so eager to flee the scene that he jumped over a steel-pronged security fence - managing to escape but leaving part of his finger behind.

The finger was put on ice by officers and sent to Bradford Royal Infirmary in case the owner turned up wanting it to be sewn back on.

But the man failed to show and, after two hours, the finger was returned to officers to be used as fingerprint and DNA evidence.

Inspector Paul Jeffrey, of Toller Lane Police, said: "It was certainly an unusual find. Officers were carrying out a search for the suspect when they spotted shreds of clothing and the finger tip snagged on a security fence.

"We took it up to the hospital to see if we could reunite it with its owner, but after a couple of hours it became impractical for doctors to sew it back on.

"We will now be carrying out tests on the piece of finger and it will be used for evidential purposes."

Inspector Jeffrey said officers were pursuing a Rover 316 car in the early hours of yesterday morning when it crashed into a lamppost.

"The car is believed to have been stolen from the Harrogate area. After it crashed a man jumped out and ran off," he said.

"As he climbed over a nearby fence the tip of one of his fingers became trapped and it ripped off just below the first knuckle."

Toller Lane Police say they became aware late yesterday morning that a man was admitted to Bradford Royal Infirmary's Accident and Emergency department with a hand injury.

And a 24-year-old Bradford man was arrested at the scene of the chase on suspicion of theft of the car.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.