A drug driver has been banned from the roads and given a suspended prison sentence after attempting to flee the police in an early-hours chase.

Byron Lucas-Parsons, 23, of Goddard Road, Pewsey, was spotted speeding with no lights on through the village's High Street just after 4.30am on May, 8, 2023.

When the driver failed to stop for police, he was chased through Pewsey at high speeds.

Police officers attempted to taser Lucas-Parsons when he got out of his car on Marlborough Road, but the dangerous driver got back in the vehicle and proceeded to reverse at speed and crash into a sign.

The 23-year-old then got out and ran for the woods, and it was Police Dog Conan who was able to track down the speeding driver.

On January, 8. 2024, Lucas-Parsons pleaded guilty to drug driving, dangerous driving and failing to stop for police, and was sentenced at Salisbury Magistrates' Court.

The man has now been disqualified from driving for 18 months, ordered to carry out six months of drug rehabilitation, up to 12 days of Rehabilitation Activity, and pay a total of £239.

He has also received a 24-week prison sentence suspended for 18 months.

"Lucas-Parsons did everything in his power to evade police, driving off at speed despite officers requesting him to stop and then running away from police,” said PC Ben Greening.

“It was down to the great work of PD Conan and his handler that we located him in his hiding place.

“It is extremely fortunate that nobody was injured or worse killed as a result of Lucas-Parsons’ selfish and mindless actions,” he added.

“Drug driving is one of our fatal five offences because we know it hugely increases your risk of a crash.

“If a driver kills someone while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, they can be charged with causing death by careless driving and the maximum penalty is life imprisonment.”

Wiltshire Police is continuing to target drivers committing what they call the ‘fatal five’: driving whilst using a mobile phone, drink/drug driving, speeding, failing to wear a seatbelt, and careless driving.

If you believe that anyone is driving under the influence, you can report them online on the Wiltshire Police website, or by calling 999 if there is an immediate danger.