A student arrested for possessing crack cocaine wriggled out of his handcuffs and bolted from a police car, a court heard.

Talil Mahdi, of Rose Hill, Oxford, wound down the back window and reached to open the patrol car door from outside. The 22-year-old then sprinted off, followed by officers, who found him hiding behind rubbish bins, Reading Crown Court heard.

Giles Curtis-Raleigh, prosecuting, said Mahdi was driving a Metro with two friends as passengers in Earley, Reading, on December 23, when the car was stopped by police. He said Mahdi gave a false name of Khalid Ali.

Police then searched the car and found 50.3 grammes of cannabis and 1.17 grammes of cocaine under the passenger seat. Tests later revealed the drugs to be 75 per cent pure.

However, after he was put in the back of the police car, Mahdi decided to escape. Mahdi said he had travelled to Reading to score drugs for a party. He has recently received a National Certificate qualification from his college in Oxford and will now study for a BTEC.

Peter Haffard, defending, said: "The route of his offending is because of his involvement with drugs.

Mahdi was sentenced to two years' probation. He pleaded guilty to escaping from lawful custody and possession of a Class A drug. He was also ordered to pay 100 costs.

Judge Josh Lait told him: "You need to seek help about your drug problem."