An Ilford man has been sentenced to five years after possessing petrol bombs and being chased from a police station during the 2011 London riots.

Itzaz Akhtar, 23, of Piper Way, was one of four men seen acting suspiciously at the rear of Plaistow police station on August 9 during the disturbances which hit the capital.

Upon seeing officers, the gang made off on foot and were pursued by police.

After a short chase, three of the men, who are still at large, escaped in a Mercedes A-Class car, but Akhtar was caught and arrested.

During the pursuit, a number of glass bottles containing petrol and newspaper wicks were dropped by the men and four petrol bombs were found intact in addition to a quantity of smashed glass and petrol.

Akhtar had discarded a pair of petrol stained gloves, according to a Met Police spokesman, and he later admitted to filling bottles with petrol.

He was convicted by a jury at Wood Green Crown Court of possession of an offensive weapon on December 21 but the jury failed to reach a verdict on a charge of having an article with intent to destroy or damage property.

Akhtar was convicted of the second charge by a jury at the court on May 22.

He was sentenced to five years for the second charge, and three years for the first to be served concurrently, at the court on Friday.