Like a shot he sets off and he speeds away (5,2,3,5)

I believe the answer is:

takes to his heels

'he speeds away' is the definition.

'like a shot he sets off' is the wordplay.
'off' indicates anagramming the letters.
'like'+'a'+'shot'+'he'+'sets'='likeashothesets'
'likeashothesets' anagrammed gives 'TAKES TO HIS HEELS'.

'and' is the link.

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.