A dad who led police on a high-speed pursuit through Swindon with four children crammed into his car has been jailed.

Mohammed Yusuf Ali went through several red traffic lights, reached speeds of 70 miles per hour in a 30 zone and crashed into a stationary vehicle during the chase.

When Ali's Volvo V70 finally stopped in a pub car park, officers discovered three children under the age of five and a fourth child stood in the footwell.

Ali, 25, has now been jailed for 14 months and banned from driving for three years.

The incident occurred on August 23, 2023, when roads policing officers as part of Project Zero patrols spotted a Volvo V70 on Cricklade Road with what appeared to be illegal window tints.

The driver accelerated off when officers signalled for him to pull over.

Ali, of Downton Road in Penhill, sped onto Chapel Street and into Gorse Hill where he reached speeds of up to 70mph in a 30mph zone.

The 25-year-old also contravened several sets of red traffic lights causing other road users to take evasive action before colliding with a stationary Transit Tipper van, causing the wing mirror to come off.

Swindon Advertiser: Mohammed Yusuf Ali has been jailed.Mohammed Yusuf Ali has been jailed. (Image: Wiltshire Police)

The pursuit came to an end when Ali pulled into the pub car park in Southbrook Road and ran from the vehicle, attempting to climb a fence.

Ali was also found in possession of cannabis.

He appeared at Swindon Crown Court on January 5 and pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, possession of cannabis and failing to stop following a collision.

PC Nick Slade of the Roads Policing Unit said: “This pursuit was incredibly dangerous – high speed through a residential area across several busy junctions and through multiple traffic lights, however, when we discovered Ali was carrying four children in the back of the vehicle – one of whom was unrestrained – we were appalled.

“This shows a total disregard for their lives and simply does not bear thinking about what could have happened had other road users not acted quickly in taking evasive action.

“In interview, Ali fully admitted that he put their lives at risk.

“The children who were put through this upsetting ordeal will undoubtedly suffer some long-term effects as a result however, I am extremely pleased that nobody was injured during the incident.

“This case serves to prove the importance of our work and I am pleased this has been reflected in the custodial sentence and lengthy driving ban handed out to Ali by the courts."