An ambulance officer who was late for work put blue flashing lights on the dashboard of his private car to help him speed through traffic.

Ashley Hammond, of Percival Road, Eastbourne, reached speeds of more than 100mph in his Ford Focus and weaved round vehicles, causing other drivers to move out of his way.

The 26-year-old 999 call operator with the old Surrey Ambulance Service was eventually stopped by police and when he later arrived for work he told his boss: "I've been a bit of a prat."

Magistrates at Eastbourne yesterday found him guilty of dangerous driving and banned him from driving for three years.

He pleaded not guilty during the day-long trial and insisted it was an emergency that he got to work on the night because he was an hour late and that he was entitled to have the blue lights to alert other motorists and ensure their safety. He has since resigned from Surrey Ambulance, now part of the South East Coast Ambulance Service, and has been suspended from his other job as transport co-ordinator with the St John Ambulance Service in Brighton.

Traffic police spotted Hammond's black Focus being driven aggressively and with blue lights flashing on the A27 near Polegate. They followed and pulled it over on the A22 at Hailsham.

WPC Helen Donovan said: "Cars were having to move out of his way. It was like the parting of the waves."

She said the two flashing blue lights on either side of the dashboard were extremely bright and must have dazzled Hammond.

Hammond told her his car was used to transport "little old ladies" who fell over if no other vehicles were available and that a siren was going to be fitted to it soon. But his manager Mark Bailey made a statement that Hammond's car had nothing to do with the ambulance service.

The court heard how the blue lights belonged to the St John Ambulance Brigade. They were not meant for cars but would be placed on the ground to alert people to emergencies.

The court was told that Hammond had suggested the brigade purchase them and he often kept them in his car.

Hammond, a member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, denied speeding and said his driving was "safe and controlled".

He said he was now working for a private company as a medical technician and sometimes worked at Eastbourne District General Hospital as an auxiliary nurse in Accident and Emergency.