A MORECAMBE man has been jailed for a year for a bad piece of dangerous driving'.

Preston Crown Court was told that Jamie Caldwell was already banned from driving at the time of the offence.

The 26-year-old, of Hestham Avenue, had been committed for sentence for dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, failing to stop and having no insurance. He was also banned from driving for three years.

Police, who knew he had been banned for six months in December 2003, saw Caldwell in a Vauxhall Astra car. He initially stopped but then Caldwell shot off in the car at speed.

Children were going home from school at the time and the officer had to sound his siren to alert them to the danger.

The court heard that Caldwell drove to his home address and claimed he had been in bed. He later said his girlfriend had been driving.

Ian Dacre, mitigating, said Caldwell's partner had not been well and had taken medication. She did not feel able to drive and collect her child from school so Caldwell decided to go.

"He panicked, he put his foot down and set off on a short journey that took him round the block back to his home," said Mr Dacre.

Judge Stuart Baker told Caldwell: "It was a bad piece of dangerous driving during the day and created risk to other road users."