Dramatic moment police pull dangerous driver, 18, from cold lake after he tried to hide in the water

Davey Smith was driving a Ford Mondeo when he was spotted acting suspiciously on the outskirts on Scarborough.

North Yorkshire Police attempted to pull him over but he sped off, sparking a police chase.

Drivers from the force’s roads policing group followed him into Forge Valley - a rural area close to Scarborough - where they used a stinger to deflate the tyres and bring the car to a halt.

Smith, 18, of Scarborough, and a 17-year-old passenger ran away from the car towards Throxenby Mere. The passenger was detained straight away - but there was no sign of Smith.

After searching for him for 45 minutes, traffic sergeant Mark Patterson noticed a figure almost fully submerged in the water.

The above footage shows the moment he reached in and dragged Smith out of the cold lake.

Sgt Patterson said: “Smith was arrested and we immediately gave him first aid to help him warm up while an ambulance was called. “He was shivering, so we wrapped him in a foil blanket and gave him one of our woolly police hats to wear, and a thick winter police coat.

“It certainly wasn’t the cleverest place to hide on a cold November night and he could have caused himself serious harm.

“His dangerous driving also posed a massive risk to others. So I’m glad we were able to use our resources and tactics to bring him to a safe stop in a quiet area.”

Smith was taken to hospital before being arrested and charged. The passenger was released without action.

The 18-year-old pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, failure to stop, failing to provide a specimen of blood for analysis and driving without insurance or an appropriate licence.

He was sentenced to 32 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, 200 hours of unpaid work, a 28-month driving ban and ordered him to pay more than £270 in fines and costs.