A drug dealing taxi driver drove the wrong way up a one-way street and mounted kerbs as he tried to flee police during a chase.

Dean Greengrass, 59, had been driving along the A11 near Wymondham in a silver taxi with no passengers when he was spotted travelling faster than the surrounding traffic.

Norwich Crown Court heard he was followed by police having turned off the A11 and was driving at 60mph in 30mph zones and driving on the wrong side of the road through residential areas.

John Fairhead, prosecuting, said at Fairland Hill, in Wymondham, Greengrass went the wrong way up a one-way street before turning onto Fairland Street where he slowed to about 40mph before heading towards the town's marketplace.

Mr Fairhead said despite there being a number of shoppers and pedestrians Greengrass "drove his car on the pavement" to get around a van before continuing on his way with "pedestrians stepping back" as he did so.

At one point a pedestrian was forced to "jump back into the hedgerow" by Greengrass who was seen by police to "throw something out of the driver's side window".

Mr Fairhead said Greengrass eventually "gave up" and stopped the car before being arrested.

Police found a total of nine wraps of cocaine with a street value of between £132 and £165, including eight in the tin he had discarded following the chase on April 17, 2020.

Also found was £420 in cash as well as mobile phones which contained messages relating to the supply of cannabis to others.

Greengrass, of St Nicholas Road, Great Yarmouth, appeared at court on Wednesday (November 9) when he admitted dangerous driving, possession of class A drugs and being concerned in the supply of class B drugs.

Danielle O'Donovan, mitigating, said the offences had been an "aberration" for Greengrass, then 57, who she said had a "mid-life crisis" after depression hit.

She said he had worked for many years as an engineer in the Middle East, in places like Saudi Arabia, but had lost his job, returned to the UK and started working as a taxi driver.

Recorder Simon Taylor sentenced Greengrass to a total of 14 months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months.

Greengrass was also ordered to do 150 hours unpaid work and banned from driving for a year.