PROSECUTORS and police have explained why it took 19 months to bring the case of two love rivals driving bumper to bumper at 100 mph to court.

Both Bradley James Kitching, 24, and John Shelton Carey, 27, crashed at the end of the high speed chase through Heworth and Stockton-on-the-Forest on October 10, 2017, and were questioned by police within days.

But the case didn’t reach court until May 2019, 19 months later.

Both the CPS and North Yorkshire Police said a number of factors led to the delay.

The Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, said it was a "straightforward and simple dangerous driving case" and slashed the sentence he gave to Kitching by two-thirds third because of the amount of time he had had to wait for the court case to begin.

Kitching, of Moor Avenue, Wetherby, pleaded guilty to two charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

A jury acquitted Mr Carey, of Orchard Gardens, Huntington, of dangerous driving. He had denied the charge.

A CPS spokesman said it did not receive a file from the police until April 2018.

A police spokesman said: "The initial decision by the CPS was not to prosecute. However, this decision was appealed by the force and was subsequently overturned.

The CPS spokesman said: "After consideration of the file a request was made to the police for further enquiries to be carried out. Following a further review by the CPS reviewing lawyer it was necessary to seek additional evidence from the police and this was submitted over the following months"

The police spokesman said all of the CPS requests were responded to within the timescales the CPS set out.

The CPS finally authorised charging both men in April 2019.

Read the full story of the love rivals' chase here.