A banned motorcyclist who led police on a 23-mile chase touching speeds in excess of 130mph has been jailed for 18 months.

Christopher O'Donovan raced away from officers as they tried to get him to pull over during the Saturday morning pursuit.

The 44-year-old sped away going through the 40mph zone in Cherhill at more than 90mph and overtaking cars and a skip lorry at speeds in excess of 100mph.

Rosie Walsh, prosecuting, told Swindon crown court how the chase started when an officer in an unmarked car spotted the bike on the A361 near Devizes.

The Kawasaki passed his car and the number plate recognition device alerted the officer so he followed the bike.

She said the machine was soon travelling at 95mph towards Beckhampton so the officer put on his blue lights and siren and closed the gap so the rider could see he was in an unmarked police car.

Instead of slowing down the bike accelerated away in a dangerous manner on the A4 towards Calne, going at speeds in excess of 130mph.

She said he then travelled through Cherhill village, where the speed limit is 40mph, at more than 90mph.

The court was shown a section of the video footage recorded by the police car where the bike overtook on hatchings at more than 100mph.

The vehicle was then followed on the A3102 at Mile Elm, through Wetham Bottom and on to the track between the B3101 and Caen Hill Locks car park.

Miss Walsh said the police car tried to block the bike into the car park but it was ridden close to the officer, who had got out of his car, and away into Devizes.

She said the chase came to an end when the rider got off the machine outside a block of flats in Victoria Road and ran inside.

Officers went in after sealing the flats and found O'Donovan, who lived in the block, inside another flat.

He answered the door in a T shirt and shorts and told the police he had been asleep, but they noticed he was hot and sweaty and motorcycle leathers in a bedside cabinet.

When he was questioned he denied any knowledge of the bike and initially pleaded not guilty, only changing his plea on the morning of trial.

O'Donovan, of Victoria Road, Devizes, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and without insurance.

The court heard he was banned as he had not taken a mandatory retest following another conviction for dangerous driving in 1993.

Richard Shepherd, defending, said his client had a bad record of previous convictions but had not offended in the past three years.

He said though the driving was clearly dangerous it was important to note that there was no accident and no one was injured as a result of the episode.

O'Donovan had settled down with his partner and children and had a job valeting lorries, he said.

Jailing him Judge Douglas Field said: "This was a prolonged episode of very dangerous driving at speeds of up to 130mph, excessive speeds in built up areas and dangerous overtaking.

"It is clear to me that you were determined not to be apprehended because you knew that you were driving while disqualified."

As well as jailing him he banned him from the road for three years and ordered he take an extended test before he gets a licence.