A man, who turned up at his former ­girlfriend’s house with an axe, drove at 100mph on the A14 and the wrong way along a dual carriageway as he tried to escape police.

Oliver Archer, of Thrapston Road, Ellington, led officers on a high-speed chase across Huntingdonshire in the early hours of March 26, including ­driving towards oncoming traffic on the A141 as he headed for the Spittals Interchange.

Moments before, he had driven the wrong way around a roundabout during a 20-mile pursuit, which started in Mayfield Way, Huntingdon, and included Huntingdon ring road, the A141, the Stukeleys, Alconbury, Old Weston and Bythorn.

After half-an-hour, the chase came to an abrupt end on the A14 when Archer drove over a police stinger spike trap while ­travelling at 100mph.

The 23-year-old ran into a field, ­dropping the axe on the road, but he was spotted by officers and arrested.

The chase started after police were called to an address in Coldhams South, Huntingdon, that Archer had been banned from visiting. It was the home of his former girlfriend and she, her new boyfriend and mother were woken at 2.30am by Archer ringing the doorbell.

Peterborough Crown Court was told on Thursday they had spotted no-one at the front of the house. However, Archer, left, was seen in the back garden, hiding in the playhouse.

Police were called and Archer ran off, holding an axe. Officers caught up with him but despite being pepper-sprayed, he managed to get to the Cherokee Jeep he had parked by the Lord Protector pub, sparking the chase.

Cheryl Williams, prosecuting, said: “The officer leading the chase said the defendant was driving above the speed limit, crossing the white line and cutting corners.

“When he went through the stinger, which stopped the vehicle, he was driving at 100mph. He made off into a field and tried to conceal himself. Luckily, the ­officers had strong torches and were able to locate him.”

Samantha Marsh, mitigating, said Archer had been under the influence of cannabis and was not thinking straight.

She said the axe had been in the car after a camping trip and Archer said he ­probably would have “waved it around” but was not intending to use it as a weapon.

Miss Marsh told the court Archer went to Coldhams South because he thought the boyfriend had committed criminal damage at his parents’ home. She said his actions were “extremely stupid, immature and inappropriate”.

Archer admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving ­without insurance, possession of a bladed article, being found in enclosed space and breaching a court order.

He also admitted being in breach of an 18-month suspended sentence given in July following a road rage incident on the A14, where Archer attempted to drive another car off the road.

Judge Sean Enright jailed Archer for 39 months and gave him a restraining order preventing him from contacting his ex-girlfriend, her boyfriend and her mother, or visiting Coldhams South for five years.

Archer was also banned from driving for four years.