BRADFORD’S top judge has issued a stern New Year warning that drivers pursued in “blue light chases” after failing to stop for the police will go to prison.

The city’s Recorder, Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC, locked up a clutch of dangerous drivers in December, including four on Christmas Eve.

After a busy couple of days hearing how speeding “lunatics” almost wiped out an ambulance, forced a car containing young children to do an emergency stop, nearly hit a bus and wrote off an £18,000 BMW, Judge Durham Hall repeated the message: “When the police want to stop you, and the blue lights go on, you stop.”

The first danger driver to be jailed at Bradford Crown Court on Christmas Eve was Mohammed Arfan, 23, of Arnside Road, West Bowling Bradford. He was locked up for 13 months after doing 109mph down Rooley Lane in an uninsured Audi S3 hired for a wedding.

Jack Brown, 26, of Westwood, Carleton, near Skipton, followed Arfan down to the cells after wrecking an £18,000 BMW when he smashed into it while being pursued by the police across Keighley. He was jailed for 12 months.

The third driver to be locked up was teenager Usmaan Zahoor of Northfield Place, Manningham, Bradford. The 19-year-old was sent to a young offender institution for seven months, with the judge telling him: “People in Bradford are sick of hearing: ‘When the blue lights go on you stop’.”

Zahoor admitted driving a VW Golf dangerously on October 12 at 10pm in the Manningham area.

He was pursued by the police along Cornwall Road, Manningham Lane and Lumb Lane where he stopped the car and fled on foot.

The court heard that Zahoor, who had no previous convictions, was uninsured to drive the car he had bought two weeks earlier.

His solicitor advocate, Fuad Arshad, said Zahoor was foolish and immature and had been “utterly stupid.”

Judge Durham Hall said he had to lock up decent young men because the offence of dangerous driving was so potentially disastrous.

Zahoor had mounted the pavement during the pursuit and could have killed people standing outside a takeaway.

The final driver to be jailed on December 24 was Liam Pickering, 25, of Cottage Green, Clayton, Bradford.

He was imprisoned for ten months for an offence dating back to February 10, 2018.

Pickering admitted dangerous driving in a Fiat Punto with no licence or insurance.

The court heard that he was chased by the police along Broadstone Way, Holme Wood, Bradford, at 7.10pm, swerving in and out of traffic, driving on the pavement and doing double the speed limit.

Pickering jumped red lights, almost hit a bus and skidded into a crash barrier on the Shipley/Airedale Road. The front tyre exploded and sparks were flying off the wheel rim.

Pickering, who had no licence or insurance, tested positive for cannabis.

His solicitor advocate, John Bottomley, pointed to the “significant delay” in bringing the case to sentence.

Pickering had learning difficulties and had panicked when he saw the police.

Judge Durham Hall said he “drove like a lunatic.”

He was unlicensed and uninsured and had hit a barrier on a busy road.