POLICE had to accelerate up to 100mph to catch a danger driver who led them on a chase in the early hours of the morning, a court heard.

Cheryl Siree, 38, of Kildare Crescent, Allerton, appeared before Bradford Crown Court to face charges of dangerous driving, driving without insurance and driving while under the influence of drugs in the early hours of March 29 this year.

Siree pleaded guilty to the three offences at Bradford Magistrates' Court last month.

Prosecutor Emmerson Flint said police were on patrol on Allerton Road when they saw Siree driving a white Seat Ibiza towards Girlington at high speed.

They turned around and followed her, but Siree accelerated away. Mr Flint said they had to accelerate up to 100mph to gain ground, but Siree was still around 100 metres away.

The court heard Siree turned on to Squire Lane, still driving at high speed, and ran a red light.

She eventually lost control of the vehicle and collided with some railings, causing significant damage to its front end.

At that point, the defendant and her friend made off down Pearson Lane. Both were detained and a crack pipe was found and confiscated.

Siree said she had not used drugs that evening and claimed she had panicked when police came behind her and drove off because she was not insured.

She was found to be over the limit for cannabis in blood and further traces of crack cocaine and temazepam were found in the defendant's blood.

Gerald Hendron, for Siree, said she had smoked cannabis that day, but did not believe she was over the prescribed limit.

He said she had turned to Class A drugs after becoming a carer for relatives, but has not used any crack cocaine since the offence. He said she was "deeply ashamed" of her behaviour.

In sentencing, His Honour Judge Jonathan Rose said it was right to say there is "much that is good" about Siree, but she had driven the car in a way which was inappropriate for the road, for the circumstances and for her driving ability.

He said: "Your offending is simply too serious to overlook and I'm sorry, but it's to prison you must now go."

She was handed a six-month sentence for dangerous driving, a concurrent sentence of two months for driving over the prescribed limit and was disqualified from driving for more than two years.