A runaway driver, who drove around Hucknall at high speed, was sniffed out by a police dog – moments after causing a crash.

Raheem Rahman, aged 22, drove away at speed after being spooked by an unmarked police car traveling down Forest Lane in Papplewick, on blue lights to an unrelated call.

In the minutes that followed he sped around the Hucknall area – passing through red lights, driving on the wrong side of the road, and travelling the wrong way around roundabouts.

With several police vehicles in pursuit, in the early hours of Friday 22 July this year, Rahman passed through a final red light at a junction with the A60.

A member of the public driving through the lights then collided with a police car as he swerved to avoid a head-on crash.

At this point Rahman abandoned his Audi and attempted to flee the scene on foot. After a methodical search by a police dog handler, he was located hiding in a hedge.

Unwilling to test the resolve of police dog Monty, he quickly gave himself up and was arrested.

The driver of the car was treated in hospital but was not seriously hurt.

Rahman, of Rolleston Drive, Arnold, answered "no comment" to all the questions put to him during his police interview, but later admitted to charges of dangerous driving and failing to stop for the police.

Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday (29 September), he was jailed for 12 months and banned from driving for two years.

PC Ashley Dunn, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "This was an appalling display of driving that placed members of the public at risk.

"Rahman showed absolutely no concern for the safety of others and could easily have caused a very serious injury to himself and the entirely innocent member of the public he caused to crash.

"He was and is a danger to himself and others and I am pleased he has now been punished and banned from driving as a result of his actions."