A DANGEROUS driving suspect was found cowering in a drain after attempting to flee from police.

Roads Policing Unit officers tried to flag down an untaxed driver in an Audi at Lewes on the A27 on Monday (February 22).

After being pulled over, the motorist then sped off towards Polegate at speeds of 90mph.

A police stop stick punctured the tyres of the Audi, but the driver tried to escape again.

The Tactical Firearms Unit and Dog Unit were called in, and the police helicopter had been scrambled to the chase.

Police Dog Flak, a five-year-old German Shepherd found the Audi motorist, who had scaled a wall, hiding in a drain running below Black Path in Polegate.

Assistant Chief Constable Lisa Bell, of Operations Command, praised the teamwork shown by officers.

She said: “Our frontline officers are trained to an extremely high standard across multiple disciplines to ensure they are able to respond to a wide range of incidents.

“Being multi-skilled enables our officers to work together effectively to achieve our force priorities – to protect communities, to catch criminals and to deliver an outstanding service.

“This is just one example of officers from different divisions putting their own expertise to good use, while also counting on their colleagues to help achieve the desired outcome.

“Some people may see this as just part of their job, but our frontline officers put themselves in harm’s way to prevent, detect and respond to crime in order to keep the public safe.”

Sussex Police said the suspect was identified as Dean Loughran-Oxley, 42, a road worker, of no fixed address.

He was arrested and charged with dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, failing to stop when required by police and possession of cannabis.

The force said he appeared at magistrates court and will appear at crown court on March 23.