A POLICE officer who knocked down and killed a 16-year-old schoolgirl in his patrol car while going more than 90mph without blue lights or sirens told a court today he still believed his driving was safe.

Pc John Dougal, 41, denies causing the death by dangerous driving of Hayley Adamson, in Newcastle's West End last May.

In a hushed voice, he told Newcastle Crown Court: "I think about Hayley every day.

"I think my driving was safe."

Dougal was alerted by his in-car computer to a suspect Renault Megane which had passed in the other direction.

He said he was made suspicious by the distance it had travelled in the time it took to him to turn round his powerful Volvo, and decided to close the gap without alerting the Renault driver.

Dougal said the road was clear and he did not consider his speed to be unsafe, despite it more than three times the 30mph limit.

Miss Adamson, who was with friends, moved off the pavement into the Denton Road, then started to run across it, Dougal said.

"She ran across and I tried to steer the other way, I couldn't," he said.

He could not avoid the collision and stopped immediately, he said.

"I tried to get on the radio, it was busy the first time, when I did start to talk, I couldn't really speak and I got out of the car."

Dougal said a man with his shirt off ran up to him and started shouting.

"I tried to put my hands up and said we will sort it out," the officer said.

Asked by John Elvidge, defending, if he considered his driving dangerous, he replied: "No I do not."

He was left devastated by Miss Adamson's death, the court heard.

"I can't think what her family feel."

Andrew Dallas, cross-examining, told the defendant: "You have talked up the degree of lawlessness that this Megane represented in your mind in order to justify the way your drove.

"I don't agree with that," the officer replied.

Dougal was asked whether there was a trade-off between driving at higher speeds and the need to warn other road-users with lights or sirens.

"If it was necessary to put them on, I would have done," he replied.

"I don't think I made a mistake, I followed my training."

Mr Dallas asked if Dougal would drive in the same manner now.

"I would have to be in a police vehicle and I don't think I could do that now."

The trial continues.