A DESPARATE thief scaled a razor topped high wire fence after being bitten by a police dog as he evaded chasing officers in Halesowen.

Police are appealing for anyone who notices a man with injuries inflicted by a dog and razor wire to contact them immediately.

Three men suspected of trying to steal vehicles from Beechwood Audi, Manor Lane were arrested from garage rooftops following a rapid early hours police response on yesterday morning.

West Midlands Police were alerted to a sighting of men trying to break into property at around 1.45am.

Response officers, including a police dog unit, arrived in a matter of minutes and talked three men down from garage roofs. However, one suspect made a desperate getaway.

A search of the scene revealed lock picking equipment and a key-coding device designed to program blank keys, whilst more car keys and gadgets were uncovered during subsequent house warrants.

A 24-year-old from Sparkhill, an 18-year-old from Cradley Heath and a 17-year-old Smethwick remain in police custody and are being questioned on suspicion of going equipped to steal and conspiracy to steal.

The older teenager is also being quizzed about a shotgun discharge in Tat Bank Road, Oldbury, on Tuesday (Sept 9).

Dudley Police Chief Inspector Nick Rowe, said: “These were excellent arrest. We’ve had lots of police resources, including traffic and dog units, doing proactive work in recent weeks in response to some car crime so we had officers on hand to move in swiftly.

“We’d contained the scene within eight minutes of the initial 999 call coming in to us.

"Our search teams have since recovered items of interest from addresses linked to these men and a car believed to have been used by them has been seized and will be forensically examined."

He added: "Another suspect dressed in dark clothing managed to escape a police dog by scaling razor wire-topped fencing − but it’s understood he may have suffered a dog bite."

Police are keen to hear from witnesses or anyone who knows someone who’s suffered bite type injury, and potentially cuts from razor wire, in the last 24 hours.

They are urged to call police on the 101 number or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.