A man drove at speeds of more than 80mph in a residential area in an effort to escape police.

Paul Newland, 36, was driving a white BMW 318D Sport at about 1am on February 16 when he attracted the attention of officers in Whittlesey Road, Stanground.

The officers noticed the vehicle was significantly damaged and began to follow it. When Newland noticed this he sped off, causing the officers to illuminate their blue lights and activate their sirens.

At the roundabout with South Street Newland went onto the opposite side of carriageway ignoring the keep left bollard and turned right on the wrong side of the road.

When officers turned onto South Street from the roundabout they drove at nearly 50mph in an effort to get closer to the BMW, which was still pulling away.

At the roundabout with Aldi the vehicle turned left back onto Whittlesey Road heading towards Stanground Fire Station and then towards Whittlesey. The pursuing officers reached 90mph, but could not catch up and lost the BMW.

Shortly after this, other officers attended the home of the registered keeper of the vehicle. They found the BMW with the same damage and noticed heat was coming from it.

The registered keeper denied being the person behind the wheel or knowing that it had been driven, but the car was seized.

In the following hours Newland went to Thorpe Wood Police Station where he admitted being the driver of the car.

Newland, of Pandora Drive, Peterborough, went on to plead guilty to dangerous driving, driving without insurance and driving without a licence.

On December 2 at Peterborough Crown Court he was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years. He was also disqualified from driving for two years and ordered to complete a 40-day rehabilitation programme.

PC Mick Lippiatt said: “Newland showed a complete disregard for others as he drove dangerously in a residential area of Peterborough with no thought of the potential consequences.

“If he had hit a pedestrian or another vehicle at the high speed he was driving we could well have been dealing with a fatal collision. This kind of reckless behaviour is totally unacceptable.”