A DIABETIC pick-up truck driver smashed into eight parked cars and overturned his own vehicle as he careered around the streets of Horwich.

Anthony Barlow's partner and two young daughters were in his Mitsubishi four-wheeled drive pick up when he embarked on his trail of destruction — which included writing off a new £42,000 BMW.

Jonathan Dickinson, prosecuting at Bolton Crown Court, said Barlow, of Berne Avenue, Horwich, was driving in his own street at 3pm when he headed across the front gardens of two properties, demolishing gates and destroying shrubs on the afternoon on August 29, 2013.

But the 47-year-old driver did not stop, continuing into Richmond Street, then Rock Street, mounting a pavement then reversing into a parked Seat Leon and continuing into Curteis Street where he collided with a Corsa.

"By this stage his vehicle had suffered a largish degree of damage," said Mr Dickinson.

But even when he lost his vehicle's front bumper after driving at speed and mounting a pavement in Mottram Street, Barlow did not stop before heading home, hitting a neighbour's parked Peugeot.

Police were called and officers, initially thinking Barlow had only hit the neighbour's car and damaged the gardens, spoke to the driver.

He told them he was diabetic, but claimed the damage was due to to his vehicle malfunctioning.

A breath test was negative for alcohol and Barlow was advised not to drive until he had taken his medication.

But as police were leaving they were flagged down by the owner of the damaged Seat Leon and as they spoke to him they saw Barlow, with the children still in the vehicle, drive past, mounting the pavement as the car turned into Chorley New Road.

On Lee Lane two more parked vehicles were hit and on Ramsbottom Road oncoming cars had to swerve to get out of Barlow's way as he drove on the wrong side of the carriageway.

The demolition drive came to an end on the road when Barlow hit a parked Mercedes, ricocheting into a Citroen Picasso and a £42,000 BMW, so badly damaging the luxury vehicle that it was written off.

The Mitsubishi overturned and members of the public pulled Barlow and the children, aged five and six, from the wreckage.

Police had to subdue Barlow with CS gas spray and at the police station he threw hot chocolate around his cell and smeared walls with his own excrement.

Barlow pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and criminal damage.

David Morton, defending, said the offending was "completely out of character" for diabetic Barlow and was brought on by him having a hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) episode.

"He had not been as comprehensively diligent in relation to his medication and testing of blood sugar levels as he should have been," said Mr Morton.

Judge Peter Davies was told that in 2011 Barlow had his driving licence revoked, but it is not known whether he was informed of the change.

Sentencing of the case, which Judge Davies described as "an odd and unfamiliar type of dangerous driving", was adjourned until June 25 to allow for further enquiries to be made.