A SCRAP metal dealer led police on a 12-mile chase after his uninsured van was spotted in Worcester.

Ryan Groves drove down a one-way street in the city centre the wrong way in a bid to avoid capture.

Then he sped through 30mph Lower Broadheath at 55mph and avoided a stinger device, narrowly missing the officer who had just deployed it, said prosecutor Paul Whitfield.

The pursuit ended in Worcester Road, Stourport, when Groves ditched the van and tried to run away.

A police helicopter following the incident directed officers towards a caravan site where Groves was arrested.

Groves, 25, of Laurel Road, Tipton, West Midlands, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving uninsured and without a licence.

He was jailed for 12 months, banned from the road for two years and ordered to take an extended driving test.

The chase began on Thursday, September 18, after the defendant's Transit was seen in New Road, Worcester.

When finally captured, Groves asked: "Is anyone hurt?" Worcester Crown Court heard.

He told police he had been driving since the age of 14 and had never held a licence.

He tried to outrun the police because he did not want to lose the van which belonged to his father, said David Taylor, defending.

Although Groves had 25 previous offences on his record, none were for motoring crime.

Judge Andrew Geddes said: "This was an appalling piece of driving which could easily have resulted in death or serious injury."

He confiscated the £1,500 van which was seized by police and kept in a compound.