A BANNED driver who left the scene of an accident in which a cyclist was fatally injured has been jailed by magistrates at Bournemouth.

Keith Pickford, 47, was behind the wheel of a white Vauxhall van in Alder Road last April when he stopped for a red traffic light. The cyclist, 29-year-old Lee Busst, went into the back of the van.

Poole Hospital security guard Mr Busst sustained head injuries and died when his life support machine was switched off at Southampton Hospital the following day.

Builder Pickford, of Alton Road, Bournemouth, had his licence taken away in 2000 after being convicted of drink driving and dangerous driving. He was told he would have to take an extended retest to regain his full licence.

But after the ban was up, he continued to drive on a provisional licence. He was convicted of driving while disqualified in 2002 because he failed to comply with the terms of the licence.

At the time of last year’s accident, he had a qualified driver with him but was not displaying L plates, again invalidating the provisional licence.

On February 3, Pickford admitted driving while disqualified and failing to stop after an accident. He was bailed for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.

But just nine days later, police officers spotted him alone in the van, driving along Kinson Road. His lawyer, Sharon Taylor, told the court that although Pickford was unaccompanied, he was displaying L plates and was insured.

Pickford admitted a further offence of driving while disqualified. The magistrates jailed him for a total of 84 days and banned him from driving for a year.