Two men who escaped from police in a high speed chase after being involved in an attack in which a woman was hit over the head with a frying pan have been jailed.

Roxroy Parchment, 49, of no fixed address, and Effram Needham, 39, of Reservoir Road in Birmingham, have been sentenced to four years each in prison after being found guilty of assault, affray and possession with intent to supply cannabis.

The pair, and a third man who has not been traced, forced their way into the Peacehaven home of a 45-year-old woman at 8.30pm on July 27 last year and demanded to speak to someone called Kate.

When the resident told them that no Kate lived in the house in Grassmere Avenue they hit her over the head with a frying pan before leaving the house.

A neighbour rang the police and then followed the men as they travelled in a Nissan Juke car to Seaford.

A police officer saw the car on the A259 and briefly pursued it but the driver refused to stop.

One of the passengers was then spotted jumping out of the car in Ringmer Road, Seaford, and dumping a bag which was later found to contain 20 bags with 30 grams of cannabis in each.

Officers called off the pursuit because of the high speed of the vehicle which was later found abandoned in Eastbourne Road, Seaford.

A search of the area found initially no trace of the occupants but two of the suspects were eventually traced, arrested and charged.

The woman hit by the frying pan required treatment at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, for minor injuries.

Detective Inspector Rob Morland said: "This was an unprovoked horrendous attack on a vulnerable woman in her own home in Peacehaven where last July three men forced their way into her home and attacked her with a frying pan causing lasting injuries."