Teenage Tearaway Turns Countryside into Chaos: Low-Speed Tractor Chase Grips Dorset

In a scene straight out of an agricultural action movie, a teenage boy has been arrested following a wild night-time chase involving a stolen tractor, a helicopter, and a host of baffled rural residents.

The drama began when a bright yellow JCB Fastrac tractor, complete with a trailer, was reported stolen from the usually tranquil Martinstown area at about 23:40 BST on Sunday. Dorset Police were quick to act, but even they couldn't have predicted the bizarre pursuit that would ensue.

With a top speed of about 44mph, the hefty agricultural vehicle proved surprisingly elusive, leading officers on a merry dance through the night. Not content with just any police pursuit, the authorities called in a helicopter to assist, illuminating the countryside like an impromptu carnival.

Supt Gavin House of Dorset Police, speaking in that careful tone of enforced calm that belies the sheer absurdity of the situation, said: "Officers responded swiftly and worked overnight to ensure any reported risks to other road users were minimised and the incident was brought to a safe conclusion." The "safe conclusion" came a full eight hours later, after the tractor reportedly ignored several attempts to bring it to a halt.

The vehicle's route was as convoluted as it was audacious, being spotted on the A37 north of Dorchester and then meandering through the quaint rural roads of the Dorchester and Piddle Valley area. The chase, which seemed like something out of a farmyard-themed Grand Theft Auto, finally ended in the area of Bradford Peverell at about 07:45 on Monday.

Supt House, likely still shaking his head in disbelief, has appealed for any witnesses "to the manner of driving of this tractor" and urged anyone with dashcam footage to contact Dorset Police. No doubt, such footage will soon become the stuff of local legend.

While the village gossip mills grind into overdrive, one can only speculate on the motives behind this high-octane hijacking. Was it a teenage prank gone too far, or the desperate dash of a young man yearning for a taste of freedom on the open road? Whatever the case, the residents of Dorset have had their fill of excitement for a while.

In the aftermath of this peculiar escapade, we are left with one resounding thought: never underestimate the determination of a teenage boy with a stolen tractor.