Banned driver arrested 'after getting in car immediately after Harrogate court hearing'

A motorist who was banned from driving allegedly got into his car immediately after leaving court and led police on a 140mph chase.

The man was re-arrested following the incident on Monday and remanded in custody to appear in court again today.

North Yorkshire Police sergeant Paul Cording described what happened in a series of tweets.

He said the man was initially disqualified from driving by magistrates in Harrogate for drug driving offences.

Sgt Cording said: "Unbelievably he left the courtroom and got straight behind the wheel of a car to drive home.

"Officers got behind the vehicle and requested it to stop, which it failed to do & then drove dangerously along the A59 and north onto the A1M. Weaving dangerously in and out of traffic and using all the lanes, including the hard shoulder, the vehicle reached speeds of over 140mph."

As the car headed towards Leeming, police used a "stinger" device to stop it. The driver was re-arrested.

Sgt Cording, who tweeted a picture of the damaged car, said the driver showed "a complete disregard for road safety and the judicial system".

North Yorkshire Police said a 45-year-old man from County Durham was charged with driving while disqualified, failing to stop and dangerous driving.

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