A motorcyclist reached 140mph as he overtook a police patrol.

The 18-year-old rider was filmed on the A24 near Horsham weaving between vehicles and driving at double the legal speed limit.

Police pledged to crack down on rogue motorcyclists after he was banned from driving.

Benjamin Mills was arrested after overtaking an unmarked police motorcycle in May.

He was riding a Yamaha R6 motorcycle and doing speeds of up to 140mph as he headed north on the dual carriageway near Southwater.

Video footage showed him both over and undertaking cars and crossing solid white lines.

Police said the unmarked patrol rider followed him to read his registration plate, then dropped back to prevent a further risk to the public.

A marked Sussex Police motorcyclist stopped him in Surrey and arrested him, seizing the motorcycle.

Police said the bike had no mirrors and was too powerful for his class of licence, making his insurance invalid.

His licence plates were also smaller than the minimum lawful size.

Mills, from Warlingham, Surrey, admitted dangerous driving, riding otherwise than in accordance with a licence and using a vehicle without insurance at Crawley Magistrates’ Court in August.

He was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court last week and was disqualified from driving for two years.

He was also given a three-month suspended prison sentence, 12 months unpaid work and ordered to pay £250 in costs.

Inspector Marc Clothier, of Sussex Police’s road policing unit, said: "Sussex police are committed to making the roads safer and reducing the number of people whose lives are cut short or seriously affected by road traffic collisions by targeting anti-social riders.

“The vast majority of motorcyclists are law-abiding and safe riders.

“However, there is a minority who blatantly break the law by intentionally riding in a dangerous manner and putting not only their lives, but also the lives of others at risk.”

He said the case showed the importance of using unmarked motorcycles to catch rogue drivers.

Last month Sussex Safer Roads Partnership unveiled signs warning drivers of unmarked motorcycle patrols on the A283, A272, A29, A285, A22, A26 and B2192.

Insp Clothier said: “The use of covert motorcycles to detect offences has met with some criticism. This case highlights the success of this tactic in catching those who would previously have gone undetected and who would have continued to ride in this manner.

“Working closely with the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership we encourage and educate all road users to ride and drive safely, but where people choose to put others at risk by driving dangerously they can expect to be dealt with robustly by Sussex Police.”

To report dangerous or anti-social driving visit the police’s website, www.operationcrackdown,org, or call 0845 6070999.