A teenager panicked when he saw police and ended up driving at 70mph on streets with a 30mph limit.

At one point, a tyre on Aaron Bryant's car exploded, and sparks were seen coming from the car before it eventually stopped.

And when police spoke to him, they discovered he had been drinking and was two-and-a-half times over the limit.

Bryant, 18, of Cliff Road, Dovercourt, was locked upfor four months in a young offenders' institution after he admitted charges of dangerous driving and driving with excess alcohol.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard how police saw Bryant driving a Ford Orion car erratically in Fronks Road, Dovercourt, at around 3.45am on September 19.

He was swerving across the road and at one point narrowly missed a police car. He was followed into Hall Lane and then Cliff Road where he collided with a traffic island causing a front tyre to explode.

Sparks were seen coming from the car before it eventally stopped. Bryant told police: "I'm sorry officer, I was in a rush to get home."

A breath test revealed an alcohol level of 94mcgs. The limit for driving is 35mcgs, the court heard.

Robert du Preeze, mitigating, said Bryant had panicked when he left a night club after being told by two men they were going to damage his car.

He also panicked when he saw police, Mr du Preeze said but now very much regretted what he had done.

Published Thursday November 7, 2002

Brought to you by the Evening Gazette