An uninsured and unlicensed driver who led police on a 60mph chase around residential West Midland streets has walked free from court.

Ansar Mahmood, aged 22, sped through a red light and two junctions in snowy conditions, mounting the pavement as he tried to flee on the border with Sandwell and Birmingham.

After smashing into a taxi and two other cars, he ran away on foot but was arrested after a pursuit.

Mahmood, who was on bail for another offence and had seven previous convictions for uninsured driving, was spotted speeding down Meadow Road, near Bearwood, by police parked in an unmarked car.

Dramatic footage released to the Express & Star by West Midlands Police today shows how officers drove after the Volkswagen Passat into Sandon Road.

Mahmood mounts a kerbs he drives past a church and into Barnsley Road during the chase, which happened at around 3.45am on February 21.

The officers are forced to overtake motorists at more than 40mph as they switch on their blue lights and sirens.Mahmood, whose female passenger was pleading with him to stop, appears to mount a kerb again as he drives past a gritter.

But he refuses to give up, driving through a red traffic light at the junction of City Road and failing to stop at ‘give way’ junctions at Poplar Road and Bearwood Road.

In St Mary’s Road, Mahmood crashed into a passing taxi and then ricocheted into a Volvo and a parked Vauxhall Astra, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard yesterday.

Damage estimated at £5,000 was caused to the taxi, which was “essentially written off”, but the driver was unhurt.

The Volvo was also written off, while the Vauxhall Astra was left with minor damage.Mahmood was sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for two years.

He was also ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work in the community, banned from driving for three years and ordered to pay £200 costs.

He will be supervised for a year by the Probation Service.Recorder Martin Hurst said: “The police invited you to stop and your reaction was to try to do the opposite.

“This dangerous driving is reflected in going across a red light and two junctions without stopping, creating a possible danger to other road users.

“You collided with a taxi driver who had to be off work for a while and was finding it difficult to go back to work.”

Mahmood, of Douglas Avenue, Hodge Hill, Birmingham, admitted dangerous driving and driving without insurance or a licence.

Siobhan Collins, in mitigation, told the court that Mahmood had “panicked” because he knew he faced arrest for driving a vehicle without insurance.