A FATHER of three who led the police on a “blue light chase” while on the phone to his brother has been jailed for 12 months.

Connor Slinger sped off, wheels spinning, in an uninsured black Volkswagen Golf at 4.45pm on May 22, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Slinger, 24, of Shapla Close, Keighley, accelerated away along the town’s South Street, crossed a car park and drove down a ginnel, prosecutor Dave MacKay said on Thursday.

The police wanted to question him because he had failed to stop for two PCSOs the previous day, the court was told.

In a chase lasting more than 15 minutes, Slinger sped across a pedestrian crossing on the wrong side of the road, overtook on a zebra crossing and ignored speed bumps and stop signs.

He was pursued along Oakworth Road and Devonshire Street into the town’s Highfield area, with the car bouncing on its suspension and braking heavily, Mr MacKay said.

Slinger was on his phone for about five minutes during the pursuit before he went straight across a junction on Highfield Road and pulled up.

He told the police he was on the phone to his brother and he told him to stop.

Slinger conceded that his driving had been “abysmal” and pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving without insurance and using a phone while driving.

His solicitor advocate, Julian White, said he had no previous convictions, although he had been stopped in January for driving while uninsured.

“This is a bad case of dangerous driving,” Mr White conceded.

But there was no collision and no one was injured.

When his brother rang him, co-incidentally, during the police pursuit, Slinger stopped the car.

Mr White said Slinger was a qualified forklift truck driver who had always worked since leaving school at 16.

He was under financial pressure at the time and his relationship had broken down.

Slinger had been caught driving without insurance and did not want to get caught again.

He was of previous good character and had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

“He is a young man with disadvantages who had managed to keep on the straight and narrow,” Mr White said.

Judge Jonathan Rose said: “This was a protracted piece of exceptionally dangerous driving.”

It was only by good luck that Slinger was not facing a more serious charge.

“When the blue lights come on, you stop - and you should have stopped,” Judge Rose said.

The maximum sentence the courts could impose for dangerous driving was two years imprisonment.

“The time must come soon when that maximum sentence is increased,” Judge Rose said.

Slinger had caused no damage or injury and he must be given credit for his guilty plea.

He was banned from driving for three and a half years.