AN Oldbury driver found to be armed with a gas powered revolver at the end of a high speed police pursuit has been jailed for 16 months.

Tyron Spence, aged 31, crashed into a number of parked cars before ploughing into an unattended mobility scooter sending it smashing through the front window of a Dudley town centre shop.

The two mile chase began after Spence panicked when he spotted the patrol car.

Spence completely wrote off the scooter and caused £2,000 damage to the Wolverhampton Street shop front while several parked cars were also damaged.

Caroline Harris, prosecuting, told Wolverhampton Crown Court after his arrest Spence maintained he had been loaned the Peugeot 208 by his "on-off" girlfriend but she stressed that was not the case.

Miss Harris added the CO2 powered revolver which he had just bought was found underneath one of the seats in the vehicle together with a balaclava.

Spence, who had 26 previous convictions on his criminal record, was barred from possessing the gun which was not a prohibited weapon during the five year period following his release from a previous prison sentence.

The defendant, of Gilbert Avenue, Oldbury, admitted driving dangerously, failing to stop for police officers, possessing the prohibited revolver and having no insurance or licence.

The court was told he drove through traffic lights on red during the pursuit in the Dudley area and clipped parked cars before the Peugeot smashed into the mobility scooter which was parked outside a second hand shop.

Miss Harris said he gave a false identity when he bought the revolver from a shop in Oldbury but he was identified by investigating police officers when they checked the CCTV inside the premises.

Philip Brunt, defending, told the court the gun had not been used by Spence who was further disqualified from driving for 15 months on his release from custody.