Jail for ex-policeman in naked car chase through Scarborough

Andy Easterby, 30, was caught crouching behind a wheelie bin “sporting nothing but a pair of shoes and socks” after trying to evade capture.

The ex-York officer was spotted by a CCTV operator after deciding to end his trip to the seaside by having sex with his partner in her car.

A court heard that, with smoking tyres, Easterby twice went through No Entry signs, drove the wrong way down several one-way streets and turned off his headlights in an attempt to get away.

York Crown Court heard that Easterby and his girlfriend had been on a day trip to Scarborough when he abandoned his clothes. The court was told he was embarrassed to face his former colleagues when they stopped him.

Chris Smith, prosecuting on Monday, said “eagle-eyed” CCTV operators had tipped off police something was amiss when they spotted that he was naked as he drove through Scarborough town centre at 3am on April 25.

Firearms officers, who were on duty at the time, tried to stop him, but he drove off at speed, he managed to evade them but he was caught in his precarious position after he left the car.

Easterby, of Leeds, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and was jailed for six months on Monday.

He was also banned from driving for three years and ordered to retake his driving test.

Judge Stephen Ashurst told the former neighbourhood police team member: “This is a difficult day, I know, for you.

“I have to take account not only of the strong personal mitigation in your case, but also the public interest in seeking to deter people from driving dangerously, particularly when they are pursued by police, where the sensible course is to stop.”

It was the second time Easterby had broken the law - in 2009, he was banned for a year after he was caught drink-driving.

Following his drink-drive conviction, he was forced to resign from the police after eight years in the job that had been his childhood dream. He had just taken the sergeants’ exam.

Chris Moran, defending, said: “Two times in his life he has done something reckless, stupid and impulsive and both times he has paid a considerable price for it.”

This time he would face the shame of his friends, family and new work colleagues knowing about his late-night naked driving.