A police chase ended with a driver losing control and crashing a £22,000 Mercedes into railings in Huddersfield.

Leeds Crown Court heard that car and a Peugeot worth £14,000 had both been stolen at the end of January during a burglary in Salendine Nook but both had subsequently ended up in the hands of Anton Lee Copperwaite.

Police had questioned him about the Peugeot in February only two weeks after the burglary when it was found near a house where he was but at that time he said it was not his and was allowed to “go about his business.”

Subsequently his fingerprint was found on the false registration plate fitted to it and his DNA was on the gearstick.

But by then on May 25 he was spotted driving the white Mercedes also with a false number plate and with a passenger in the car.

Robert Steven, prosecuting, said officers indicated to him to stop but he ignored them and drove along Bradford Road, weaving in and out of traffic.

They reached 70mph trying to catch him but he was going faster when he lost control taking a corner near Ashbrow Road, crossed the pavement and crashed into metal railings.

He claimed to have only hired the car from a man and said he knew nothing about it being stolen.

Jailing him yesterday Judge Tom Bayliss QC said “You maintained that story right up until today.”

Copperwaite, 24 of no fixed address, admitted handling stolen property, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and having no insurance. He was jailed for 29 months and disqualified from driving for three years four months.

Judge Bayliss told him: “It is right to say that these cars were being driven by you. It is not a case you had them for resale. But having been found with the first car by police you must have held on to the second car having lied to police and were then caught driving it two to three months later.”