A YOB who fled police in two high speed chases before sticking his middle finger up at officers out of the window of his car has been jailed.

Jordan Macdonagh, of no fixed abode, appeared via videolink from HMP Bullingdon at Oxford Crown Court yesterday having already been jailed last year for child sex offences.

The 21-year-old admitted two counts of dangerous driving as well as six counts of making off without making payment at various Oxfordshire garages.

The court heard that police had been alerted to Macdonagh in the Wheatley area on April 27 last year after reports he was with a 14-year old girl who had been reported missing.

When police approached the VW Polo with their sirens blaring Macdonagh sped off into the village before driving the wrong-way down one-way streets, mounting pavements and eventually fleeing the scene.

Police spotted Macdonagh again in the Cowley area on August 17 and a further chase ensued, lasting 15 minutes, in which Macdonagh stuck his middle finger out of the window as he drove off.

But police caught up with him and he was arrested, before later admitting his role in the two chases as well as six other counts of stealing petrol totalling £674.52 from garages.

In mitigation Ronan McCann said his client had since undertaken a number of courses while in prison.

Macdonagh was jailed for a total of 16 months for the driving offences and two months concurrently for the six thefts.