A YORK man who tried to burn down a house after a row and then fled to Finland has been jailed for more than four years.

Thomas Oakley of Boltby Road was arrested and convicted of the offence in 2016.

But York Crown Court heard today how the 21-year-old skipped bail and tried to start a new life in Scandinavia.

Specially-trained intelligence office from North Yorkshire Police managed to track him down with help from the authorities in Finland.

And Oakley was brought back to the UK to be sentenced at York Crown Court today, where he was jailed for 58 months for arson.

North Yorkshire Police intelligence officer Paul Somerville, who tracked Oakley down and arranged his extradition, said: “Oakley’s prison sentence confirms the old saying ‘you can run but you can’t hide’.

“He was convicted of a very serious offence. But rather than having the courage to face his fate, he tried to run away.

“However, the world is smaller than you think when the police are trying to track you down. Everybody always leaves footprints, whether they intend to or not, and investigators know how to use a range of techniques to detect and follow these footprints.

“Thanks to help from the Finnish authorities, I’m glad that Oakley is behind bars today starting the substantial prison sentence he should have served all along.”