A FATHER of two has been jailed for six months after three police cars and the force helicopter pursued him at high speeds around Bradford for more than 20 minutes.

Temoor Ahmed kept his foot down as officers attempted to overtake his Toyota Rav 4 to box him in during the chase, shortly after midnight on February 28.

Ahmed, 29, of Aireville Road, Frizinghall, Bradford, pleaded guilty to driving dangerously for 22 minutes on roads including All Saints Road, Little Horton Lane, Park Road, Manchester Road, Spring Mill Street, Bowling Park Drive, Wakefield Road, Bowling Back Lane, Barkerend Road, Leeds Old Road, Dick Lane, New Lane, Bolton Road, Valley Road and Shipley Airedale Road.

The police made three attempts to box him in and two of their patrol cars were damaged when he veered into them, prosecutor Rebecca Young told Bradford Crown Court.

Ahmed jumped red traffic lights, drove on the wrong side of the road and did 75mph in a 30 zone. The pursuit ended only when he struck a second police car, badly damaging it, Miss Young said.

Ahmed was insured and there was an ongoing civil case against him by West Yorkshire Police.

Giles Grant, Ahmed’s barrister, said he “lost his head” that night and wished to apologise to the court, the police and his family. “It was a moment of panic that spiralled out of control,” Mr Grant said.

Ahmed was working up to 60 hours a week at the time while preparing to bring his wife from Pakistan. One of their children was poorly and it was a very stressful period.

“He is a working man with a family and it was a bizarre and isolated incident,” Mr Grant told the court.

But Judge David Hatton QC said he would be failing in his public duty if he did not jail Ahmed for such “an extensive and prolonged” piece of dangerous driving.

“Offences of dangerous driving such as this are so serious that they must be met with a custodial sentence.

“There is too much of it about and it puts the public in great danger. Three police cars and the police helicopter were involved and officers were put in danger,” he said.

Ahmed was banned from driving for 12 months.