A BANNED driver being pursued by officers after being spotted on the motorway, videoed the last 33 seconds on his phone, saying his goodbyes to his love, with: “As you can see, I am being chased by police."

Burnley Crown Court heard how Salim Shah, 23, had the phone in a cradle on his dashboard and his face could be clearly seen as he had said: “I love you. I’m going to prison now.”

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He added: “Will probably be out in about six months or something.”

The mobile phone footage, as well as that from the pursuing police vehicle taken during the 17-minute chase, was played to a judge, who described how Shah used tactics to try and shake off the officers.

The defendant, who was subject to a suspended jail term for disqualified driving, imposed just two months before, was finally arrested in the Great Harwood area, but put up a struggle and now has two bite scars on his leg, left by a police dog, as a reminder.

On his detention, he said to the officers: “It was a good chase, wasn’t it?”

He later claimed he thought it was careless driving rather than dangerous.

The defendant, of Woking, had admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, no insurance and possessing cannabis and had been committed for sentence by Blackburn magistrates.

He turned out to be right about going to prison, but wrong about the length of sentence, as he was given a total of 16 months behind bars.

Shah, who has previous convictions for banned driving, taking a car without consent and driving without due card and attention, was disqualified for two-and-half years and must take an extended retest.

Kimberley Obrusik, prosecuting, said on September 16, police were alerted to the vehicle being driven by the defendant and saw it on the M65 eastbound at about 9.45pm.

Pursuit-trained officers tried to stop it on Blackburn Road, Accrington, but Shah carried on and the chase ensued, with police using their emergency lights and sirens.

Shah clocked up almost 60mph in built-up, 30mph zones, went through three sets of red traffic lights, sped though Give Way junctions, almost hitting other vehicles, and then went down a small, narrow alleyway at speed, making very sharp turns on blind bends.

He abandoned the car and made off, but was found hiding in the undergrowth in a nearby park.

Officers found six snap bags of cannabis and when his car was searched, a further bag was found – a total of 4.72 grams of the drug.

Laura Barbour, defending Shah, said mercifully nobody was injured and no damage was caused.

She added that the offences showed “an enormous amount of immaturity”.