A FORMER bus driver was so desperate to get hospital treatment he took a double-decker bus without permission and sparked a police chase along the A127.

Colin Turner, 47, of Ceylon Road, Westcliff, wanted to get to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford as soon as possible to have infected burn wounds on his right arm tended to.

But, unable to afford public transport or a taxi, Mr Turner, who is a former bus driver, climbed into an empty bus at the Arriva depot in Short Street, Southend.

He drove it to Chelmsford, but when he arrived at the hospital, which has a specialist burns unit, they said they could not treat him at that time of night and turned him away.

He hopped back on the bus, but on his way back, police were alerted to the stolen vehicle and tracked him back along the A127 in a convoy.

They caught up with him near Progress Road and arrested him.

Mr Turner said: “I was desperate and didn’t know what to do. I didn’t think it was serious enough for an ambulance. I went down to the Arriva depot and helped myself to one of my favourite buses and drove to Broomfield.

“I only borrowed the bus. I’d had a drink, but thought I was OK to drive.

“I was going to leave it at the depot and pay for the fuel. A police convoy followed me.

“It was like something from that TV show, Police, Camera, Action.

“I don’t blame the hospital for not treating me. It was my fault for turning up in the middle of the night.”

Mr Turner, who said he worked for Arriva for seven years, had been receiving treatment at Broomfield for his severe burns, which required skin grafts from his leg.

He received his injuries on April 9 when cooking a fish, after oil splashed up and burned his right forearm. He had a follow up appointment on Tuesday, which he missed and so decided to make his ill- thought out trip.

Mr Turner was eventually treated at Southend Hos- pital yesterday morning for his infected wounds.

“All my hospital treatment has been brilliant,” he added.

Essex Police confirmed they arrested a 47-year-old man from Westcliff on suspicion of taking a vehicle without consent and drink-driving.

Police spokeswoman Donna Veasey said: “The double-decker bus was reported stolen from Southend at 11.30pm on Tuesday evening from an Arriva depot in Short Street where it had been parked for the night.

“An hour and a half later, it activated an automatic number plate recognition camera in Chelmsford.

“It was later seen being driven south on the A130 and stopped on the A127.

“The driver has been released on police bail until June 17, pending inquiries.”