A man has been jailed after he was caught drink-driving for the third time as he tried to escape from police.

Anil Suman at one point drove down the carriageway joining the A2 the wrong way with a terrified woman passenger as light snow fell.

A judge said it was “miraculous” no other drivers were put in danger.

Suman, of Cimba Wood, Gravesend, was sentenced to 10 months and banned from driving for four years after admitting dangerous driving and driving with excess alcohol and without insurance or a licence.

The 25-year-old foreman was spotted by police in the early hours of February 23 in a works Ford transit van heading towards Valley Drive, Gravesend.

Officers attempted to block him but he reversed and drove off.

He headed down residential streets before heading back to the A2 going coast bound.

Andrew Forsyth, prosecuting, said Suman performed a u-turn and drove back up the road against the direction of the traffic.

“There was no traffic but it would be difficult for him to see there wasn’t,” he told Maidstone Crown Court.

“The officers were unable to continue the pursuit because it was too dangerous.”

Another patrol car took up the chase and officers were alarmed to see Suman’s van coming towards them and had to swerve out of the way.

The van went into Peartree Lane, Shorne, braked sharply and stopped, before reversing towards the police car.

Officers managed to reverse out of the way and Suman sped off again.

He went along Gravesend Road and Thong Lane, where a stinger device was used, but Suman avoided it by driving onto the pavement.

He finally headed into cul-de-sac and made off on foot.

He was arrested soon afterwards.

He told police later: “I got scared and drove off.”

His female passenger said: “I didn’t know what was happening. I was so scared. I asked him to let me out. He could have killed me.”

Suman was twice the legal alcohol limit for driving.

He had been banned for a year in 2007 for drink-driving and three years in 2012.

Judge Michael Carroll told Suman: “You drove in an extremely dangerous manner. It is extremely fortunate no collision occurred, otherwise you would probably be facing a far more serious charge.

“Anything other than a custodial sentence would be greeted with outrage in the community.”

The Gravesend Messenger asked police to release a picture of Suman, but they told us his sentence did not reach the “Force’s threshold,” and would not be releasing the image.