A drug-fuelled motorist who almost mowed down a police officer while driving along a pavement to avoid queuing traffic has been spared jail.

Impatient Jack Birch, 28, was filmed mounting the kerb in his Ford Fiesta on March 29 of this year- screeching to a halt just a foot from a standing cop.

Police were carrying out a traffic stop at the time but on seeing them, Birch revved his engine, reversed backwards and accelerated again.