AN 'arrogant' driver has been banned after an unmarked police car spotted him doing 90 mph on a country road into Teignmouth.

Thomas Sawyer overtook the police car on the B3192 Colley Lane road into Teignmouth and drove the wrong side of bollards as he passed another vehicle on the outskirts of the town.

His Audi A3 was estimated by police to have reached 90 mph during a very short pursuit before he responded to the sirens and flashing lights and pulled over.

He handed his keys to one of the two police officers and told them: 'I sincerely apologise. I’m not going to do it again.'

Sawyer, aged 23, of Beechwood Court, Teignmouth, admitted dangerous driving and was jailed for six months, suspended for a year, banned from driving for a year, ordered to take an extended retest and to do 120 hours of unpaid work and pay £85 costs by Judge David Evans at Exeter Crown Court.

He told him: 'You drove your car, as many young men do, with arrogant disregard for the safety of others.

'You were driving far too fast and overtaking dangerously when not properly sighted.

'You were not in a position to see any oncoming cars or pedestrians who may have been in the road and you risked a collision which could have resulted in serious injury.

'Your gross stupidity put the temporary thrill of driving fast above the possibility of causing terrible consequences to others. An aggravating factor is that you had a passenger in your car.'

Mr Michael Green, prosecuting, said a double-crewed unmarked police car was following another vehicle on Colley Lane at 10.40 pm on April 15 this year when it was passed by Sawyer’s Audi.

The police car’s dashcam later recorded Sawyer accelerating briefly to 90 mph after they switched on their siren and lights and then pulling over in Higher Exeter Road and apologising.

The dashcam footage also showed the Audi going the wrong side of Keep Left bollards during one overtaking manoeuvre.

Mr Brian Fitzherbert, defending, said Sawyer was thoroughly remorseful and had apologised at the scene.

He said he has already started his disqualification, which was imposed on an interim basis when he pleaded guilty at magistrates court.