A BANNED driver who took a mini bus and gave his friends a lift has been jailed for 12 months.

Scott Cowdrey, 20, will begin to serve the sentence after he has completed a current term of 20 weeks for other offending.

Swansea crown court heard how Cowdrey took the Ford bus from the home of Alan Phillips at Fishguard on May 17.

Cowdrey, of 14 Wesley Place, Trecwn, picked up two friends and drove to Haverfordwest.

At the Murco garage at Withybush he filled up with £39 worth of diesel and drove off without paying, almost colliding with a motorist.

The driver followed the mini bus and later told police he witnessed "the worst driving I have ever seen" as Cowdrey reached 50 mph in a 30 mph area.

Cowdrey pulled into Haverfordwest golf club and managed to lose the following driver. But at 1.15am the following morning police spotted the van on the A40 near Fishguard.

They stopped the vehicle but Cowdrey jumped out and ran away. He was caught after a chase and a breath test showed he was almost twice over the legal drink drive limit.

Cowdrey admitted aggravated vehicle taking, driving while disqualified, driving while over the alcohol limit and making off without paying.

Judge Peter Heywood said the only good thing that could be said on Cowdrey's behalf was that had had entered pleas of guilty.

In addition to the jail sentence Cowdrey was banned from driving for two years and ordered to pay a £100 government surcharge.