A DISQUALIFIED driver was caught ignoring his ban for the 23rd time after a police chase through Dunfermline town centre.

Ian Mason was more than twice the drink-drive limit when he repeatedly sped through red lights in his bid to escape from the pursuing traffic cops in Dunfermline.

Mason, who is originally from Northumberland, moved to Fife to find work. He was jailed for 22 months and banned from driving for life at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

Ian Mason, 32, a prisoner at Perth, admitted that on October 14, in Winterthur Lane, Carnegie Drive, Queen Anne Street and various other roads in Dunfermline, he drove while disqualified.

He drove a car dangerously at excessive speeds, drove through a red traffic light, failed to stop when required to do so by police officers in a marked vehicle displaying blue lights, accelerated away, engaged the police vehicle in a pursuit, drove through another red light, repeatedly drove on the wrong side of the road and negotiated junctions on the wrong side of the road.

He also admitted driving having consumed excess alcohol. His reading was 55 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 22 microgrammes. He further admitted driving without insurance.

Depute fiscal Azrah Yousaf told the court that at 8.45pm, police received information about a suspected drink-driver and went to the car park of the Tesco store in Dunfermline town centre.

At 9.20pm, officers saw Mason driving out of the car park into the town centre. He failed to comply with a red traffic light and police activated their blue lights and sirens but Mason kept driving.

He accelerated away and ignored two sets of red lights in Carnegie Drive before going through another red light at the Sinclair Gardens roundabout at 50mph.

Mason continued to drive above the speed limits on various roads including Woodmill Road, Blacklaw Road and Wedderburn Crescent, travelling on the wrong side of the road and cutting corners.

He drove into Fergus Place, went off the road and into undergrowth where he was detained by police and failed a breath test.

Defence solicitor Alexander Flett said his client had moved to Scotland for work and was living with his brother in Cowdenbeath at the time of the offence.

“He is a plant operator working on building sites. Things went off the rails and he admits he had this vehicle to get to his work. That day he had gone to buy food and says he had consumed a couple of drinks. He panicked when he saw the police,” added the lawyer.

Sheriff Charles MacNair looked through Mason’s previous convictions and told him: “You have a dreadful record. I counted 22 previous convictions for driving while disqualified, one for dangerous driving and four for driving while over the limit.”

He jailed Mason for 22 months backdated to October 16 when he was taken into custody. He also imposed a lifetime driving ban.