A 24-year-old driver who drove at more than double the speed limit during a lunchtime police pursuit through Elland town centre has been jailed for 14 months.

Homeless Reece Smith had been living the Mazda vehicle and claimed to have panicked when police officers tried to pull him over in the Langdale Street area in March.

Just over a week before Smith had been banned from driving for 12 months and Bradford Crown Court heard today (Tuesday) that he had a total of four previous convictions for driving while disqualified on his record.

Prosecutor France’s Pencheon said it was just before noon on March 8 when officers tried to stop the Mazda, but Smith drove off at 40mph.

When the car reached Southgate, a narrow one-way street, Smith drove at up to 50mph even though the limit was just 20mph.

Bradford Crown Court

Miss Pencheon said Smith had to brake sharply to avoid hitting a parked vehicle before continuing at speed through the town centre.

“Due to the location and presence of members of the public the police abandoned the pursuit and lost sight of the car at the end of Southgate,” she told the court.

But a few minutes later Smith was arrested as he tried to flee on foot along Elizabeth Street and the damaged Mazda was found abandoned.

Smith admitted offences of driving while disqualified and having no insurance, but he was found guilty by the magistrates of dangerous driving.

His case was committed to the crown court for sentence and Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC jailed him for a total of 14 months and imposed a 30-month driving ban with a mandatory extended re-test.