A Bradford inquest has heard how a young driver died after crashing at high speed while being followed by police.

Imitiaz Ali, 20, was driving his Toyota Corolla along Leeds Road, Bradford, last May when he lost control and smashed into a wall.

Police, who had been following at a safe distance, found him laid beside the wrecked vehicle.

He was rushed to hospital, but died from mulitple injuries a few hours later.

A post mortem examination showed that the level of alcohol in his blood was 105 mgs - equivalent to three pints of beer. The legal limit is 80.

Recording an accident verdict on Mr Ali, of Tagore Court, Bradford, Coroner Roger Whittaker said that if he had had the sense to stop when asked to by the police he might still be alive today.

"In his evasion of the police he is sadly the author of his own tragic misfortune," said the Coroner.

PC Andrew Knox was on night duty in a patrol car when he saw a vehicle drive through a red light close to a roundabout in the city centre.

He decided to follow it and used the blue flashing lights on his vehicle in a bid to stop the driver.

But the Toyota failed to stop and went through another red light before it picked up speed and pulled away from the police car.

Mr Ali then travelled along Shipley Airedale Road and Leeds Road, reaching speeds of more than 70mph as he continued to accelerate away.

PC Knox told the inquest that he continued to follow the car at a safe speed before he lost sight of it.

But he later found Mr Ali laid beside his car after he was met by a cloud of dust across the road.

Accident investigator PC Peter Cuthbert said the Toyota had been travelling at a speed of between 66-81mph in a 30mph speed zone before the collision.

"The vehicle travelling at that speed leaves no room for error," he added.

Mr Whittaker said no blame could be attached to the driver of the police car.