A judge became furious with a "pot head" boy racer who led police on a high-speed pursuit at over three times the speed limit, when he heard the reckless yob had told police "I didn't stop because I had no insurance".

Amjid Ali had driven at up to 90mph in a 30mph zone in High Wycombe on August 29 last year after police had seen him speeding down a residential road in a black BMW and tried to signal for him to pull over.

Judge Francis Sheridan, who was sentencing the 23-year-old, said: "Your driving was more akin to what you would expect on a banger racing track than public roads in a built-up area.

"You have only got to read the local papers just to realise how fed up the community are with young men, pot-heads, behind the wheels of cars that they cannot control.

"This driving was dreadful - 90mph in a 30, in an area where you could expect youngsters to be out at that time of night. The public must have confidence that the courts will punish lunatic drivers, putting everybody else at risk in built-up areas."

The court heard how Ali had been spotted by police who were in an unmarked vehicle on patrol in High Wycombe before he began driving dangerously, veering onto the wrong side of the road until he crashed into a metal bollard, which was destroyed.

Ali had three passengers in the car at the time and police had reported the car smelling of cannabis, although none of them tested over the limit for drugs.

A prosecutor told how Ali had said to police: "I didn't stop because I had no insurance" then, after being arrested, he had added: "Thinking back on it now, I know it was stupid because when I did crash if there was someone walking on the path or something it could have ended differently."

When he appeared before magistrates, Ali had admitted driving dangerously and without insurance for the BMW, which belonged to a friend.

Daniel Wand, defending Ali during a digital sentencing hearing at Aylesbury Crown Court, told how the defendant was due to be married and was working as an engineer for a telecommunications company.

Mr Wand said: "He panicked that he did not have insurance. He knows that was stupid. It was foolish and, more seriously, it was reckless and he does not seek in any way to shy away from that.

"This offending was entirely out of character for Mr Ali. It is the first time in his life he has ever been in any kind of trouble with the police. He was holding a clean driving licence at the time."

Judge Sheridan sentenced Ali to eight months in custody, of which the defendant would serve half in prison and half out on licence, while banning him from driving for two years.