A lunatic teenage driver led police on a 110mph chase along winding country lanes.

Officers were forced to give up the pursuit after ten minutes because it was too dangerous.

Kurt Healy drove through Sussex villages overtaking cars on blind bends.

At one point he drove down a narrow farm track at 70mph as two school children in uniform walked along it.

An adult with them had to get the youngsters off the track as the Hyundai hatchback sped down it.

The track led to a farmyard where Healey realised he would be trapped.

He turned round and brushed the police car as he drove past it back up the track and past the children again.

Healey, 19, paid the price for his dangerous driving after a court ordered his car to be confiscated.

He was also given a five-month prison sentence suspended for a year and will have to do 100 hours unpaid community work.

Healey, of Norman Road, St Leonards, was banned from driving for two years and will have to take an extended test when the ban ends.

He pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to dangerous driving and driving while disqualified and appeared at Hove Crown Court for sentence yesterday. (fri) Rachel Beckett, prosecuting, said police community support officers stopped Healey at Icklesham, near Hastings, on November 6.

The court heard he was on a mushroom-picking trip with two others who walked off as the officers spoke to him.

Healey jumped back into his car and drove off at speed with sparks flying from the wheels.

Checks revealed that Healey had been banned from driving.

Officers in a marked police car spotted the Hyundai on the A259 between Winchelsea and Rye and gave chase.

Miss Beckett said: "Officers caught up with him and he was doing a constant 100mph on a 60mph road.

"He overtook a car on a blind right hand bend as another car approached.

"The officers followed keeping a constant distance between them and the hatchback, reaching speeds of 110mph.

"He drove towards Icklesham at 90mph with the car fishtailing as it crossed white lines in the middle of the road.

"The officers considered calling off the chase at that stage as they thought the driver would lose control.

"As he drove through Icklesham his speed dropped to 70mph in a 30mph area."

The chase continued through the countryside and at one point Healey drove along a single lane road at 70mph with a lorry coming the other way.

He then headed down the farm track before brushing the police car as he turned around in the yard.

At that point officers decided to give up the chase because it was too dangerous to continue.

They identified Healey who had bought the car in his own name for £300 to do up and sell.

He was arrested at home five days later, the court heard.

Thomas Restell, defending, said Healey, a labourer, had panicked because he was disqualified.

Mr Restell added: "There is a strong streak of good in this young man, he just had one moment of madness over this wretched car.

"He has now sworn off cars and does not want anything more to do with them.

"He used to enjoy watching motoring programmes such as Top Gear but no longer wants to.

"He now prefers to walk or travel by bus rather than by car.

"He accepts that it is very fortunate that his driving did not result in an accident or someone being injured."