A 19-YEAR-OLD dodged an immediate jail sentence for dangerous driving after failing to stop for police.

Raja Altaf, of St Mary's Terrace, Manningham, pleaded guilty to the offence at magistrates court and appeared at Bradford Crown Court to be sentenced.

Prosecutor Paul Nicholson said the incident unfolded just after midnight on December 28 last year, when officers on duty in a marked traffic vehicle spotted a black Volkswagen driving on Manningham Lane towards the city centre.

They followed the vehicle to Hamm Strasse and to Midland Road and requested the vehicle to stop using blue lights.

A pursuit followed taking in roads including Queens Road, Marlborough Road, Church Street, Oak Lane and North Park Road.

At one point the car reached speeds of 60mph in a 30mph zone and ran red lights.

The car eventually came to a stop on Wilmer Road, Heaton.

Nigel Jamieson, for Altaf, said it was a few moments of stupidity for which he could pay such a heavy price.

He said his client knew how serious a matter it was.

Mr Jamieson said Altaf, who has no previous convictions, is due to go to university in September to study social services, has just come to the end of a business management diploma and has ambitions to become an estate agent.

He said there seemed to "no reason" for him failing to stop and Altaf was asked about it, he explained he had previously been in a road traffic accident, which was no fault of his, but ended up spending 15 hours in a police station and there was a fear of that being repeated.

The judge, Recorder Ray Singh said the courts take a "very dim view" of anybody driving dangerously and that it was a blight on Bradford.

He remanded Altaf in custody for the night and dealt with the case the following day.

Mr Jamieson said his client had been "chastened" by the night he spent in jail.

He said the driving incident had been a stupid mistake and was out of character both for Altaf and his family.

The judge, Recorder Ray Singh, told Altaf he had held the case until the following day to reflect on whether or not he could avoid passing an immediate custodial sentence, calling his actions "stupid" and "reckless".

"Frankly I'm somewhat astounded you behaved in the manner you did," he said.

Recorder Singh described the circumstances as "serious" - he was asked to stop by police and decided not to, drove at 60mph in a 30mph zone and ran red lights.

He added there had been no accidents and Altaf did ultimately stop, but did not fully cooperate with police to begin with.

Altaf was handed an eight-month sentence, suspended for 18 months and was ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.

He was also disqualified from driving for 18 months and must take an extended retest.