A banned driver who mounted a footpath and shot a red light in a police chase has been jailed for 15 months.

Reece Rose, 22, of Scott Avenue, Rainham, also turned right at a roundabout, bounced over speed bumps and drove on the wrong side of the road during a failed attempt to evade arrest on Friday June 3.

He was eventually caught after dumping the car and running into woodland, where a police dog and several officers tracked him down.

Rose was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court after pleading guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and possession of cannabis.

In addition to his custodial sentence, he was banned from driving for a further three years.

The court heard how Rose came to the attention of police when he lost control of the Mercedes C-Class he was travelling in on the A2 in Rainham.

He then ignored the blue flashing lights of the patrol car and sped away, committing numerous traffic offences while officers tried to stop him.

Rose eventually abandoned the vehicle at the entrance of East Hoath Wood, Gillingham, where he was quickly detained.

Investigating officer PC James Jones said: "Reece Rose made a very foolish decision when he tried to escape the law instead of stopping when requested to do so.

"While the courts take a dim view of motorists who ignore driving bans, they will quite rightly come down even harder on those who put the lives of pedestrians and other road-users at risk through their own selfish actions.

"Rose now faces 15 months in prison for an offence that was entirely avoidable."