Nigel Stevenson, 23, tail-gated the doorman's Ford Focus then drove alongside while his passenger threw objects at the other car, Notts Crown Court was told.

The court heard that Stevenson, of Woodlands, Retford, his passenger and the passenger's girlfirend had been to the Bliss club on 29th July last year.

Just before 3am the doorman was asking people to leave and challenged the passenger's girlfriend because she had no shoes on, said Michael Auty, prosecuting.

The woman became extremely aggressive and her boyfriend intervened and after a struggle he was put outside.

Later he was seen outside waving a metal bar at the doorman as he left with the manager and others in the Focus and a BMW, said Mr Auty.

Having only had soft drinks, Stevenson followed the Focus on a straight road past Ranby prison.

Speeds were estimated at 80mph but the Focus was unable to outrun the pursuer, the court was told.

The cars ended up on the A1 before the police were eventually called.

Defending, Peter Walmsley said: "The spat between the passenger's girlfirend and the doorman was nothing to do with the defendant."

"The whole thing for him is like a nightmare, he just lost his head."

The passenger later admitted to criminal damage for hanging out of the window of the car and striking the Focus with an object and was sentenced by magistrates to 200 hours unpaid work as part of a community order.

The judge, recorder John Tidbury, told Stevenson: "Effectively you were using your car as a weapon and a threat to someone else on the road. this sort of appalling driving will not be accepted."

Stevenson, who had not been in trouble before, admitted dangerous driving and was jailed for eight months on Friday.