A man who stole a van, crashed it and then headbutted a police officer has been jailed for eight months.

Jahrell Warren of Manor Road, Dagenham, used a skeleton ignition key to steal a Ford Transit from a driveway in Stanwell in Surrey on July 4.

A day later the van was involved in a crash on the A10 Great Cambridge Road in Enfield.

Warren sped away from the scene, but the van was spotted by police in nearby Linden Avenue.

A police officer approached the vehicle, but Warren refused to follow his order to stay inside, trying to escape through the driver's side door.

Warren headbutted the officer while he was being handcuffed, injuring the cop's lip.

As he was being taken to custody, Warren peed in the police van, which meant the vehicle had to be deep cleaned and removed from service.

Mobile phone footage, sent to the police by the driver of the vehicle involved in the crash, showed Warren driving off from the scene.

In custody, Warren failed to provide samples of breath for analysis to find out whether he was over the drink drive limit.

The 31-year-old pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking, assault on an emergency worker and criminal damage at Harrow Crown Court on Wednesday, October 13.

Warren also admitted driving with no insurance, failing to provide a specimen for analysis and failing to stop at the scene of an accident.

He was sentenced to eight months in prison for aggravated vehicle taking; five months for assaulting an emergency worker and one month for criminal damage. The sentences will run concurrently.

He was also disqualified from driving for two years.

Pc Matthew Olive of the Met’s road and transport policing command said: "Assaults on police officers in the line of duty will not be tolerated and I am glad Warren will now spend a period of time in jail.

"By stealing the van and then crashing it, he showed a complete disregard for the safety of members of the public.

"The damage he caused to the police van further illustrates his contempt for public property. Credit should be given to the arresting officer, who gave chase and detained Warren and assisted in achieving this result."