A man has been jailed for attempted murder after an incident that saw bullets fired near Stevenage police station.

Tommy Harber, 51, of Holwell Lane in Essendon, near Hatfield, appeared at Peterborough Crown Court where he was sentenced to 25 years behind bars.

He was also disqualified from driving for an extended period and will need to retake an extended test.

It followed a month-long trial which had concluded on Tuesday, May 21, and found Harber guilty of attempted murder.

The jury heard that on Wednesday, September 6 last year, there was an altercation between two other men, Terry Holmes and Tommy Harber Jr. All three men knew each other, and police believe "there was a long-running feud between them".

Beginning in Essendon's Holwell Lane, Holmes then left the area in a van, and was followed by Harber Sr and Harber Jr in a Mercedes car.

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The two vehicles headed towards Stevenage on the A1(M), and both exited the motorway at Stevenage's Junction 7 around 6.30pm.

The Mercedes was then involved in a crash with a private ambulance and two other vehicles on the roundabout above the A1(M).

Both vehicles travelled into Stevenage along Lytton Way and past the police station, where gunshots were heard.

Tommy Harber Sr was found on Thursday, September 7, and arrested. Police officers recovered the van in Hitchin the following day and found visible bullet holes in the driver's door.

Detective Sergeant Robert Muir, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: “Harber is a dangerous individual and it is right that he will now face justice for his actions.

“The incident understandably caused concern amongst the local community at the time, and I hope the news today reassures the public that we will work hard to keep you safe and bring criminals to justice."

Both Terry Holmes, 32 and of Dyes Lane in Stevenage, and Tommy Harber Jr, 26 and of Holwell Lane in Essendon, had also been charged with attempted murder. They were found not guilty.