A banned driver who tried to escape police officers by jumping into a river after a high speed chase over seven miles has been jailed for 16 months.

During the late night pursuit on March 11, Daniel Williams drove at speeds of up to 70mph and went over speed bumps so fast that all four wheels of his Citroen Saxo left the road, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

A front tyre on the car was damaged during the chase and police officers could see sparks and debris coming from the vehicle, said Gerard Renouf, prosecuting.

During the pursuit Williams ignored blue flashing lights and sirens on two police cars and officers could hear the tyres on Williams' car screeching as he went round corners.

Mr Renouf said the bare wheel on the car caused damage to the road and at one stage Williams had driven on the wrong side of the carriageway after driving on the wrong side of a traffic island.

The chase, which started after Wiliams was seen driving the wrong way along a one-way street in Lowestoft, ended when he hit the central reservation on the A12 and came to a halt.

Williams had run off after getting out of the car and tried to escape by jumping into a river.

He was pulled from the water by police officers and put into handcuffs, said Mr Renouf.

Williams, 23, of High Road, Wortwell, admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.

In addition to being jailed he was banned from driving for 32 months after which he will have to take an extended retest.

Sentencing him Judge Rupert Overbury said Williams had an 'appalling' record and had been jailed for dangerous driving in 2015 and driving while disqualified in 2016.

He said that during the chase his car had been running on flat tyres and had caused damage to the road surface.

Matthew McNiff for Williams described his client's driving as a 'moment of absolute stupidity.'

He said no road users had been injured as a result of the dangerous driving and Williams hadn't been under the influence of drink or drugs.