A shopflifter led police on a 17-mile chase before abandoning his car and hiding in a railway carriage toilet.

The Sussex Police helicopter was scrambled during the search on Thursday, after Dean Bone, 33, of Friars Walk in Worthing, was spotted shoplifting from Tesco in Bognor.

A police officer watching the store's CCTV cameras saw Bone stealing alcohol.

A shopper offered the officer a ride in his car and the pair set off in pursuit of Bone's vehicle, towards Worthing.

Officers in the helicopter tracked Bone as he fled from his vehicle and hid in the lavatory of a train at Worthing railway station.

Police followed and arrested him.

At Worthing Magistrates' Court yesterday Bone pleaded guilty to two counts of driving while disqualified and three counts of theft.

Claire Ellis, prosecuting, said the other two counts of theft related to January 13 this year, when Bone was caught stealing from Costcutter in East Preston, and June 3 this year, when he stole power tools from B&Q at Lyons Farm retail park, Worthing.

Matthew Baines, defending, said Bone had "spiralled" into committing offences to feed his drug habit after his former girlfriend had a miscarriage.

But he said: "Mr Bone intends to clean himself up in prison."

Magistrate Jill Roberts told Bone: "We note your guilty pleas, however in view that you attempted to hide from police, that you hid in a train lavatory and that you failed to co-operate, we take a very serious view of these offences."

Bone was sentenced to a total of 12 months in prison and disqualified from driving for three years.