A COWDENBEATH man has been been banned from driving after being involved in a police chase through the town.

David Abbott, 29, of Park Street, appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He admitted that on May 28 last year on the B981 and in Broad Street, Cowdenbeath, he drove a car dangerously and at excessive speeds, carried out an overtaking manoeuvre when it was unsafe to do so, drove at excessive speeds within a built-up area, failed to stop for police officers when signalled to do so and braked harshly when there was no need to do so.

Depute fiscal, Claire Kennedy, said that at 9.30pm officers on mobile patrol saw the vehicle being driven by the accused which appeared to be travelling in excess of the speed limit.

The police saw Abbott overtaking a car and they began to follow him.

They formed the opinion he was trying to evade them and his car was almost out of sight to the police.

When he came back into view he was still going over the speed limit.

The police activated their blue lights but the accused made no effort to slow down or stop. Then just before a roundabout he performed a braking manoeuvre similar to an emergency stop for no apparent reason.

Sheriff Charles MacNair said: “This was a very bad piece of dangerous driving involving a police car chase.”

He imposed a community payback order with 225 hours of unpaid work and Abbot was banned from driving for 21 months.