A WOULD-BE university student from Kidderminster who had a "fascination with cars" led police on a high-speed early morning chase through Worcester after a row with his girlfriend.

Jason Watkins went through traffic lights on red, drove the wrong side of Keep Left bollards, overtook a coach at 75mph and eventually crashed into a lamp post at Claines island on the A449.

He was sentenced to six months youth custody but Recorder Anthony Palmer QC said he was keeping the sentence short so Watkins could pursue his academic hopes in the autumn.

Watkins, 20, of Cobham Road, pleaded guilty at Worcester Crown court to driving dangerously, with excess alcohol, while disqualified and without insurance. He was disqualified for three years and ordered to take an extended test.

The chase began at 12.50am on March 8 in The Butts in Kidderminster.

A test revealed that he had 94 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The limit is 80. He had also been disqualified until July 2002 for a previous drink-drive offence.

William Rickarby, defending, said Watkins had obtained three A-levels at school at grades which could have secured him entry into most universities.

But he had a fascination with cars which led him to take a job as a car mechanic. He had now taken steps to amend his habits and had not driven since the accident.

Watkins had given up his job as a mechanic and was applying to Bristol University, where his girlfriend was a student, to study sociology and law.