Lowestoft police van theft: Man in court

Image source, Google

Image caption, The vehicle - a marked Vauxhall Vivaro van - was taken from Lowestoft police station on Saturday evening

A 27-year-old man has appeared in court after a police van was stolen from a police station and then abandoned.

The marked Vauxhall Vivaro was taken in Lowestoft, Suffolk on Saturday evening and found about 15 miles away in Bungay on Sunday.

Sean Warman, of Park Road in Lowestoft, appeared before Norwich magistrates charged with aggravated vehicle taking and dangerous driving and other offences, including blackmail.

He was remanded on bail until December.

He spoke only to confirm his personal details.

Image caption, The police van was spotted in several towns/villages in Suffolk

No pleas were taken and he is due to appear at Ipswich Crown Court on 10 December.

Mr Warman was also charged with blackmail, robbery, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and two counts of impersonating a police constable.

Suffolk Police said the Vauxhall Vivaro was taken from Lowestoft on Saturday evening.

Officers were alerted by sightings of the vehicle being driven "erratically" in Lowestoft, Pakefield, Kessingland and 20 miles further south in Halesworth.

It was found in Bungay at about 01:00 GMT the next day.