A disqualified driver accused of dangerous driving wrote a letter begging a friend to lie for him, a court heard.

John Pitson, 23, of Van Dieman's, Stanford in the Vale, near Faringdon, denies common assault, dangerous driving and driving without a licence.

Oxford Crown Court heard yesterday that Pitson drove a Peugeot 205 towards Peter Roger and John Ioson as they left a social club in Stanford in the Vale on July 15.

Prosecuting, Barnaby Evans said Pitson failed to stop an hour later when signalled by a police car and started a high-speed chase along the A417 towards Wantage, driving at 80mph.

Police lost trail of the Peugeot 205 and it was found abandoned and crashed into another car in Ashdown Way, Grove, near Wantage.

Mr Evans said Pitson wrote a letter to his friend Michael Parry asking him to tell police he was behind the wheel of the car on the morning the two incidents happened.

He added: "I put it to Pitson that he wanted this man to lie for him to cover his back."

Defending, Nick Syfret said the car was owned and driven by Mr Parry, 20, of Wantage, and that Pitson had never written a letter to him.

Pitson said: "Peter Roger kicked the car outside the social club. Him and Ioson have never liked me, they've had a vendetta against me for ages, but we didn't do anything about it.

"Later on I was in bed and got a phone call from him saying he had been in a chase with police, but it didn't have anything to do with me so I didn't get involved."

Pitson also denied threatening to kill Paul Bolton after chasing him in his car along the A420 towards Swindon, near Faringdon, the day before, claiming a man called "Bonehead" was driving.

The case continues.