A DRUG dealer has been jailed for three years for possession of class A drugs with intent to supply after being arrested following a police pursuit.

Steven Briggs, 44, was arrested following a pursuit through parts of Shipley where he was riding a stolen grey Yamaha motorbike.

He was chased by a police officer, who was riding a marked police motorbike, on Leeds Road and Thackley Old Road.

The officer caught up with Briggs, who tested his brakes during the pursuit to try and deter him and Briggs later mounted pavements on the motorbike.

Briggs, of Westroyd Crescent, Shipley, left his bike and ran but then stumbled and tripped over. He was eventually stopped by the officer and at first resisted arrest, swearing at the officer and, despite being warned, was PAVA sprayed to stop him from struggling any further.

A total of 15 packages of cocaine and heroin and two mobile phones Briggs had tried to discard were found nearby once he was arrested. The two phones contained a total of 198 text messages sent over three days which were found relating to drug dealing, Bradford Crown Court heard.

The police chase took place for a few minutes after 4.20pm on February 6, 2019 and despite making no comment in a subsequent interview with police, Briggs pleaded guilty at a hearing on February 11 last year.

Briggs had been addicted to heroin for decades, the court was told in mitigation, but since the incidents he has taken steps to stop his drug use and now takes opioid blockers, which means if he were to take drugs they would not have any effect on him as they did previously.

The motorbike Briggs was riding was stolen from Keighley in November 2018 and valued at £2,000 to £3,000, Julian Goode, prosecuting, told the court.

He was sentenced for two counts of possession of cocaine and diamorphine (heroin) with intent to supply, dishonestly receiving stolen goods and dangerous driving.

Briggs was also disqualified from driving for four years. He was jailed for 27 months for attempted robbery in 2015.

Sentencing on January 20, Recorder Thomas Moran told Briggs: "It seems you were having a particular struggle at the time over your drugs use. It has gone on for many years.

"It was particularly bad at the time and you have got to accept that as a result you were engaged in this. Time has moved on.

"Things are looking better for you than they were at the time.

"You have made an effort to overcome your long-standing addiction you have had.

"You drove over the pavement, you broke-tested the officer driving, you abandoned your bike near some trees, you tried to run away and fell over."