A young motorist banned from driving after racing another man down a dual carriageway at speeds of up to nearly 120mph has warned other drivers not to get involved in racing.

Nabeel Khan, 20, spoke out after appearing before Bingley magistrates, where he and Darren Clay, 23, admitted racing at 119mph on a highway.

Both were disqualified from driving for 18 months, fined £200 and ordered to pay £60. Magistrates described the case as the worst of its kind they had ever encountered.

As reported in Friday's Telegraph & Argus, magistrates heard how officers in an unmarked police car had filmed the pair racing their Vauxhall Novas between Marley and Crossflatts on the Aire Valley Trunk Road near Keighley last October.

Police set up the operation after receiving complaints that young motorists regularly gathered at Marley Stadium car park for late night weekend races on the A650.

Following the hearing both Mr Khan, of Berrington Way, Oakworth, and Mr Clay, of Gloucester Road, Bingley, said they had only ever taken part in one race.

Mr Khan said: "I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I've learned my lesson and just can't believe how stupid I was to do it.''

Mr Clay said he had sold his car within weeks of the incident.

Councillor Andrew Mallinson (Con Keighley North), whose ward includes the stretch of road used as an unofficial racetrack, welcomed the bans and said it was a deterrent to others involved in the racing.

Coun Mallinson said: "It sends out a strong message to people that this sort of thing won't be tolerated.

"If people want to get involved in racing there are plenty of opportunities for them to do so on proper tracks without using the public highway.''

Councillor Lynne Joyce (Lab, Keighley South) said she found descriptions of the racing 'utterly terrifying', adding: "The whole issue of young men demonstrating their machismo with potentially lethal weapons is very scary.

''The trunk road's used by everyone in this area and I don't want them to at risk. Cases like this are absolutely justified."

Chief Inspector Steve Hobson, of Keighley police said: "The basic cause of most road traffic accidents is excessive speed.

The sentences in this case send out a strong message that racing on the highway won't be tolerated."