A DRIVER who led police on a chase through the streets of Poole after being spotted acting suspiciously at McDonald's drive-thru told officers he'd had just a half-pint of lager top.

Servers at the Wessex Gate Retail Park restaurant called police in the early hours of New Year's Eve after noticing that the driver of a Toyota "appeared to be drunk", a court has heard.

The witnesses had observed the driver - 27-year-old Daniel Murphy - "reversing and manoeuvring" in a bid to get to the window of the branch.

Officers arrived at the scene just as Murphy was handed his takeaway and began to drive away.

Police then illuminated the blue lights of their marked car and signalled for Murphy to stop - but he instead pulled off at speed, hurtling through red traffic lights and driving at up to double the speed limit.

Murphy, of Sutton Road in Southampton, appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday to be sentenced after admitting dangerous driving and failing to provide a specimen for analysis.

Richard Tutt, prosecuting, said the pursuit reached speeds of 60 miles per hour in 30mph roads as Murphy accelerated through Broadstone Way, Willis Way, Fleets Lane, Christopher Crescent and Preston Road.

"Sparks came from underneath the Toyota," Mr Tutt said.

In Preston Road, Murphy lost control of the car before hitting a lamppost. He was seen getting out of the wreckage and running into a nearby garden.

One of the officers then saw a security light turn on in the grounds of a property in Christopher Crescent and went to investigate.

There, he spotted Murphy lying underneath a car parked in the driveway of number five with his hands over his face.

"The officer shouted, 'Get out from underneath the car'," Mr Tutt said.

"[Murphy] did so. He was then arrested and cautioned.

"He immediately said, 'I wasn't driving. There was another male'."

At the police station, the defendant refused to be breathalysed, but admitted he had been to a party that night.

"He said he'd had half a lager top," Mr Tutt said.

Murphy later said he had been "knocked sideways" after learning he would not be spending New Year's Eve with his children, and had not been drunk at the time of the incident.

He was sentenced to six months in prison suspended for 12 months and must completed 100 hours of unpaid work and 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days within the next year.

He was also banned from driving for 12 months and faces an extended re-test after the year.