A banned motorist who drove dangerously to evade police in south Essex before running out of fuel, has been jailed.

Thurrock’s Community Police Team (CPT) officers stopped a car to speak to the driver after witnessing the Audi contravene the hatched area on the A126 whilst it waited to turn into the B186, to a car park at Lakeside Shopping Centre, on the evening of Friday September 16.

After giving police what he claimed was his name, the driver got back into the car saying he was looking for his ID.

He then closed the door and drove off, leaving the car park and driving dangerously across a zebra crossing on the wrong side of the B186 carriageway and contravening a keep left bollard.

Undeterred and working together to find the driver, Roads Policing officers found the car shortly after midnight (Saturday September 17) being driven on the Brentwood stretch of the M25.

The Audi was followed into Kent as it travelled at a top speed of 150mph along the M20 for around a minute before it came to an abrupt stop on the hard shoulder because it had run out of fuel.

Officers discovered the driver’s true identity after he was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and enquiries showed he was disqualified from driving until March 2023.

Waqar Saeed was remanded in custody to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Monday September 19 where he admitted the offence.

Saeed, 32, of Langthorne Road, Greater London, has been jailed for a total of 18 months for driving whilst disqualified and two counts of dangerous driving when he appeared at Basildon Crown Court on November 15.

Furthermore, he was banned from driving for three years and seven months.

PC Dan Corr, said: “Waqar Saeed knew he was disqualified from driving before he stepped behind the wheel of the car and he drove dangerously and without regard to all other road users that night in an attempt to evade arrest. But the great teamwork between the CPT and RPU officers meant he was quickly arrested, reducing the risk to other road users.

“Saeed also had passengers in his car when he was arrested. Should he have crashed, it would have been catastrophic.

“Those drivers who pose a risk of high harm or carry out criminal activities on our roads will always be robustly dealt with.”