A DRIVER from Bolton, who caused a crash in which two passengers were seriously injured, was let off his curfew by magistrates — to enjoy a five-day stag do in Portugal.

Jon Morton, of Neasden Grove, Deane, was behind the wheel of a BMW that crashed through the barrier on the M61 in August last year.

The collision, near the East Lancs Road in Worsley, left passengers Amy Baxter, aged 27, and her friend Hayley Jones, aged 32, seriously injured.

Morton, aged 32, admitted drink-driving and driving without due care and attention on March 25 at Bolton Magistrates' Court and was sentenced the same day.

He was disqualified from driving for three years and received a community order that included a 20-week electronically-monitored 7pm to 7am curfew.

But just two weeks later Morton returned to court to apply to vary the curfew "on the ground that it is in the interests of justice".

Magistrates agreed Morton could have five days off "because of a pre-arranged holiday" but in reality it was a stag trip to Portugal.

Morton, who works in the motor trade and in pubs and clubs, later posted pictures on Facebook of himself enjoying the bachelor party holiday with friends.

The photographs prompted outrage from the victims' families and their local MP Jake Berry.

Mr Berry, MP for Rossendale and Darwen, raised the case during Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday.

The MP told David Cameron: "Jon Morton, a drink-driver, destroyed the lives of Amy Baxter and Hayley Jones, with Ms Jones so severely injured she is paralysed from the chest down and Ms Baxter still in hospital 16 months later.

"He was sentenced to just a three-year driving ban, a fine and a 20-week tag.

"Weeks later he successfully applied to Bolton Magistrates' Court to get the tag removed so he could go on holiday to a stag party.

"Would my Right Honourable friend look into issuing guidance to magistrates that a tag, when part of a sentence, should never be removed to allow criminals to go on holiday?"

Mr Cameron said his fellow Conservative made a "very powerful point" and called the case "incredibly distressing".

The Prime Minister said: "A punishment is a punishment. A tag should be a tag."

Mr Berry has launched a campaign along with Ms Baxter's mother Pauline Baxter lobbying for the introduction of a new offence of causing serious injury by drink-driving or careless driving.

Ms Baxter suffered a major brain injury in the crash and had to have a quarter of her skull removed to ease the swelling.

She remains in Salford Royal Hospital in Eccles. Her 10-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son have not seen her since the accident.

Even if her condition improves and she leaves hospital she will require long-term specialist rehabilitation.

Her mother said: "Two small children have in effect and for all intents and purposes lost their mother.

"Amy's life has been ruined forever as have the lives of her children and wider family and it was all needlessly and totally avoidable.

"The law which only allows him to be charged with drink-driving is a joke and totally insufficient.

"Morton as good as killed Amy with his actions that night."

Morton told a national newspaper that he went back to magistrates to get the curfew changed because he was not getting home from work until after 7pm.

He added that this was when the issue of the stag party was raised.

He reportedly told magistrates he was prepared to serve a custodial sentence.

Suspect photos were also found on Morton's mobile phone by police officers investigating the M61 crash.

He later admitted possessing an indecent image of a child and five counts of possessing extreme animal porn and was fined £500 at Bolton Crown Court and was placed on the sex offender register for five years.