A FARMER who swapped seats with his wife during a police pursuit has been jailed for a year after he drove dangerously around country roads and then across a field.

Simon Tidswell, who hit the headlines in 2013 when he shot dead two much-loved pet dogs, had been running red lights and travelling at speeds of over 50mph on roads near Oxenhope before to tried to get away by driving his Land Rover Defender across a field.

Although the pursuing police vehicle was unable to follow Tidswell, the force helicopter had been deployed to help track his car and the jury at Bradford Crown Court was shown footage of the Land Rover being driven around the field near to the Dog and Gun pub on Denholme Road.

By the time another police vehicle was able to reach the Land Rover, Tidswell's wife Geraldine was at the wheel, but the prosecution alleged during his trial that the couple had swapped seats in the five-minute period when the vehicle was out of sight.

The jury heard evidence from the officer in the pursuing police car and two walkers who all said that a man had been driving the Land Rover on the country roads.

After he was arrested from the vehicle, Tidswell maintained that he had not been driving that Sunday evening in March and he pleaded not guilty to offences of dangerous driving and perverting the course of justice.

But a jury took just 40 minutes to convict Tidswell, who did not give evidence, on both charges.

The court heard that Tidswell, of Sandbeds Farm, Trough Lane, Oxenhope, had a criminal record which included drink-driving and on one occasion he had obstructed a police officer being giving a false name after his arrest.

The 49-year-old, who was given a suspended jail sentence and 120 hours unpaid work after shooting Zoe Kerr's dogs Frank and Macy in August 2013, was jailed for 12 months and banned from driving for two years.

He will also have to take an extended test before lawfully driving on the roads again.

At the time of his arrest Tidswell smelled strongly of alcohol, but he refused to give a breath test and he may still face a further hearing in relation to that offence at the magistrates court.

Jailing Tidswell, the Recorder of Bradford Judge Roger Thomas QC described his account that he wasn't the driver as "absolute nonsense" in light of the clear evidence in the case.

"It is inevitable that in this situation you must now serve an immediate term of imprisonment," said Judge Thomas.

Tidswell was prosecuted in 2013 after he shot the two dogs with a bolt gun when he found three dead lambs on his land. On that occasion, he entered a last-minute guilty plea and avoided jail.

MORE TOP STORIES