A banned driver who was involved in a five-mile police chase after taking drugs has been jailed.

Toby Drane, 20, was seen driving a Renault Scenic, which had been reported stolen by its owner, in Newmarket at around 4.15pm on June 13 and was followed by police officers who activated the siren and blue flashing lights on their vehicle, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

During the five-mile chase around Newmarket that followed, Drane had broken the speed limit and at one stage he was driving so fast that the police car which was travelling at 84mph could not close the gap, said Lynne Shirley, prosecuting.

Drane, of The Crescent, Dullingham, Newmarket, had overtaken cars by driving on the wrong side of the road and had ignored red traffic lights at roadworks.

At one stage police officers lost sight of the car, but came across it parked in Jubilee Court and saw Drane and a female passenger getting out of it, said Miss Shirley.

Drane had run off and was chased by officers who found him hiding in bushes.

Because a crack pipe was found in the car Drane was asked to provide roadside saliva test, but he refused.

He admitted he had taken crack cocaine and cannabis, but refused to provide a blood sample.

When he was interviewed he answered no comment to questions put to him, but did tell officers he had a needle phobia, said Miss Shirley.

The court heard the theft offences related to food worth more than £100 he had stolen from shops.

Miss Shirley said Drane had been banned from driving for 12 months in May this year for drink driving.

Drane admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance, failing to provide a specimen, three offences of theft and breaching a suspended sentence order.

He was jailed for ten months for the driving and theft offences, with 18 weeks to be served consecutively for the breach of the suspended sentence.

Phillip Farr, for Drane, said his client knew he was a banned driver when the police car started following him and he had made the “rash” decision to drive off.