James Cooper, 31, took control of the truck at 5:30am following a night of revelry in which he had 10 pints, The Times reports.

The vehicle, however, could only achieve 10mph, allowing the milkman to thwart Cooper’s attempt to steal it.

The unnamed man caught up with his float and apprehended Cooper.

Martha Dowd, prosecuting, told Manchester Magistrates’ Court that Cooper “started acting aggressively” upon encountering the float.

“The driver initially feared for his safety and tried to run from the defendant and secured himself behind a locked gate,” she said.

“But as the defendant then got into the milk truck and drove it away, the milkman chased the van — and managed to catch him.”