A banned driver behind the wheel of a stolen van led police on a 19-mile chase from Brighton.

Scott Turner set off from Portland Place, Brighton, and was eventually stopped on the A27 near Alfriston, near Polegate, during the afternoon of June 2 this year.

Lewes Crown Court was told on Friday that Turner, who has 33 convictions for 82 offences, drove “aggressively and dangerously” as he attempted to flee police.

He went through red lights, smashed into numerous other vehicles, ignored ‘no right turn signs’, swerved into the paths of other cars and cyclists, yelled at pedestrians from his open window, talked on his mobile phone and skidded out the way of a road block police had put up to stop him.

On the A27 near Pyecombe he screeched to a halt so suddenly two police cars which were chasing him crashed into one another – but he got away.

He also forced a cyclist into cones on a 40mph road.

On Friday father-of-three Turner admitted theft, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, aggravated vehicle taking (the van he was in had previously been taken from an address in London), driving without insurance, failing to provide a specimen, breach of a suspended sentence for handling stolen goods (a motorcycle) and driving without insurance.

The court was told the “erratic” driving took in much of Brighton including Portland Place, Lewes Road, Marine Parade, Kings Road and the A27 from Falmer, near the University of Sussex, to Alfriston, near Drusilla’s Park.

In the back of the van he had a £7,000 motorbike which he had stolen earlier from a car park in Brighton – the court was told witnesses had seen him rolling it into the vehicle. Gail Purdy, prosecuting, said his driving was “erratic”.

She said: “He went through red lights, drove right against the road.

“He leant out of his window and shouted at pedestrians. He collided with other vehicles.”

When he was eventually stopped police discovered he was actually banned from driving – and he failed to give them a specimen to prove he was not drunk.

Ahmed Hussein, defending, admitted: “It may appear there is little that can be said – Mr Turner is aware of that. He accepts he caused serious problems on the roads in Sussex.”