A DRUG dealer led police on a high-speed chase after switching seats with his girlfriend in her car.

Michael Murdock raced at more than 60mph past shocked children in residential streets in Worthing.

As he tried to get away, he hit a police car, a parked Audi and an Asda delivery van.

But police were already on to him as they suspected him of being involved in drugs.

He was found guilty of dangerous driving and failing to stop at the scene of a road crash by magistrates.

At Hove Crown Court it was revealed he was later convicted of possessing drugs with intent to supply, and is serving a five-year prison sentence.

Judge Shani Barnes jailed him for a year and said he will also be banned from driving for a year when he is released from prison in December next year.

Jennifer Grey, prosecuting, said the chase unfolded at 6.30pm on April 23 last year.

Murdock was in the car with a girlfriend named only as Miss Robertson.

She said: “Police decided to follow the car for intelligence purposes. They put on their lights and asked for the car to pull over but it didn’t.

“Eventually the car did stop, and inside the driver and passenger swapped over. Police were unable to get them to stop.

“The car drove off at a speed of 70mph in a 50mph zone on the A259. It turned into a residential, and a police car travelling at 60mph could not keep up.

“Murdock drove into a cul-de-sac, children were described as looking alarmed. The car turned around, mounted the pavement, and hit the police car and a parked Audi. About 15 minutes later the car hit an Asda delivery van.”

Ms Grey said Murdock, 25, formerly of West London, has 19 convictions for 43 previous offences. These included robbery, theft and intimidating witnesses when he was under 16, through to possessing a knife in 2016, battery and criminal damage and for possessing crack cocaine with the intent to supply, for which he was sentenced last year.

Georgia Luscombe, defending, said Murdock intends to challenge his conviction in the magistrates’ court as he claims he was not the driver.

She said Murdock has given up hopes of trying to start a university degree because of his convictions, and had instead gained an HGV driving licence.

Murdock had an “unstable” childhood and grew up in foster homes, while he was in and out of youth offender institutions between the age of 14 and 21, Ms Luscombe said.

Judge Barnes accepted Murdock had a “difficult upbringing” but told him: “You are strong enough to make better decisions for your family.”

She told him he could complete academic courses, including courses while in prison.

“You cannot give up on yourself, you have to take responsibility for this irresponsible behaviour,” she said.

For dangerous driving she added a concurrent sentence of one year and told him he would be banned from driving for a year and would have to take a mandatory extensive retest to get his licence back.