A banned driver with an "appalling record" is back behind bars following his tenth conviction for driving while disqualified.

Tony Mountford, 21, of Windrush, Banbury, was convicted of driving while disqualified and driving with no insurance before town magistrates on May 16.

Yesterday, he was locked up for a year after being sent to Oxford Crown Court for sentencing.

Rachel Drake, prosecuting, said Mountford, driving a Vauxhall Astra van, was pulled over by police on April 14 for slightly exceeding the speed limit in Woodgreen Avenue, Banbury. The officers discovered he had been banned from driving.

Three weeks earlier, on March 24, he had been released from his last prison term on licence.

Miss Drake said Mountford had nine previous convictions for driving while disqualified.

Eleonor Duhs, defending, told the court: "Mr Mountford has an appalling record for a man of his age. This is his tenth conviction for driving while disqualified.

"Mr Mountford has resigned himself to a life spent in prison. Prison is not beneficial for Mr Mountford or the community at large. It will not be a catalyst for change.

"He finds life on the outside very difficult and life in prison a lot easier.

"This is a vicious circle Mr Mountford has got himself into."

In passing sentence, Judge Anthony King told Mountford: "There is an appalling record against you and you have said frankly that custody holds no fear for you."

The judge told him he would only have to serve six months of his last sentence - which expires May 7, 2002 - to give him "some hope". He was also sentenced to four months for driving while disqualified, the sentences to run consecutively.

He was banned from driving for a further 12 months, and received no separate penalty for driving without insurance.