White van driver Dale Thompson was so drunk he did not realise a front wheel had fallen off his vehicle.

The 35-year-old carried on along the A20 towards Ashford - digging a groove in the road and sending sparks flying over a following car.

Thompson, of Lower Queen’s Road, Ashford had been drinking at a pub on the early hours of New Year’s Eve before getting into his van to meet a pal "to carry on his festivities".

He was spotted by a police sergeant driving slowly along the A20 towards Ashford at 5am – with the van straddling the white lines.

Then Sgt Nigel Douglas watched in horror as the van’s nearside front wheel fell off and rolled into the grass verge.

Ed Burge, prosecuting, told Canterbury Crown Court: "Fortunately the wheel managed to miss a hatchback vehicle which was following the van.

"But the white van continued to travel with the rim of the brake pads grinding along the highway sending up sparks flying and there was a very loud noise coming from the vehicle.

"The driver, however, made no effort to stop."

The officer followed Thompson for "several" hundred yards towards Ashford with the van "still sending out sparks and gouging out a line" in the road.

Thompson eventually stopped the van outside the Woolpack Pub and the officer asked him what had happened.

The food processing worker replied: " I must have hit something" – and then realised he was being questioned by a police officer and ran away.

He was later found by a police dog handler claiming to be a rambler out for a walk.

Mr Burge told the court that after his arrest he was breathalysed and found to have been driving at more than twice the drink-drive limit.

"you have committed just as bad a case of dangerous driving that one has ever heard…” – judge james o'mahony

Thompson admitted he had been drinking in Ashford and had made his way towards Maidstone when he collided with a post box, but continued driving for another two miles when he turned around to return to his home town.

He claimed he was aware there was a problem and had been heading towards the pub "because it was well lit".

Victoria Morgan, defending, said Thompson had stopped the vehicle earlier to inspect the damage – but had not spotted how loose the wheel was.

But Judge James O’Mahony replied: "Probably if he had been sober he might have realised."

The van has since been written-off – and Thompson now travels to work by bike, the court heard.

Thompson was given a four-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, and banned from driving for two years. He was also ordered to do 150 hours’ unpaid work.

Judge O’Mahony told him: "You have committed just as bad a case of dangerous driving that one has ever heard. You were so drunk that you were effectively oblivious to the danger and you carried on driving, despite the wheel coming off."

He praised the officer for the way he handled the danger.