BANNED driver Jason Smith of Devizes was involved in a high speed pursuit on a motorcycle with police. The pursuit happened on a dark evening and Smith's motorcycle's lights were not on.

The court heard that a police officer was driving on the A342 when he saw Smith on the motorcycle.

The officer went after Smith who accelerated away at 50mph along Nursteed Road which has a 30mph limit.

A short distance later the officer came across Smith lying in the road. Smith told the officer he was disqualified from driving.

At the police station a breath test showed Smith was over the legal drink drive limit with 64 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

Smith told police that he could not recall getting on the motorcycle and was not aware of a police officer pursuing him. He was aware the lights were not working.

Magistrates sitting in Devizes on Tuesday adjourned the case for the probation service to prepare a report on Smith. Sentencing will take place at Andover Magistrates Court on February 16.

Smith had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing of driving while disqualified, driving without insurance, drink driving and careless driving.

On Tuesday he entered guilty pleas to a charge of criminal damage for kicking a door in Stockwell Road, Devizes, on January 3, and assaulting a police officer at Melksham Police Station by throwing hot tea over him. These offences occurred while Smith was on bail.

Community psychiatric nurse Helene Webb told the court that Smith had recently been a patient at Green Lane Hospital.