A DRIVER who sped through five sets of lights in a bid to escape police has been locked up for eight months by Bolton Crown Court.

Kallum Barlow’s driving around the roads of Bolton on January 22 this year was so bad that officers had to abandon pursuing him and he was followed by the police helicopter.

Amanda Johnson, prosecuting, told how it was 1am when a police patrol spotted a silver Vauxhall Corsa speeding on Willows Lane.

He failed to stop, instead making his way around 30mph limit streets including Derby Street, Blackhorse Street, Great Moor Street, Newport Street, Trinity Way, Higher Bridge Street, Halliwell Road and Moss Bank Way.

He was estimated to have been driving at 60mph and did not stop for traffic lights.

When the car headed off Smithills Dean Road onto the narrow Coal Pit Road the police reduced their speed for safety reasons and followed with the police helicopter hovering overhead.

“The officers could see the red tail lights going into the distance, “ said Miss Johnson.

The road lead to a dead end and police found 18-year-old Barlow and a woman in a farmyard.

“His eyes were glazed and he was clearly intoxicated,” said Miss Johnson.

A breath test revealed Barlow, of Preston Street, Darwen, had drunk nearly twice the legal alcohol limit.

He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, drink driving, having no insurance, driving while banned and failing to stop for police.

Judge Richard Gioserano was told that in February last year Barlow was also convicted of dangerous driving.

Colin Buckle, defending, stressed that the latest offence had been in the early hours of the morning and “no pedestrians had had to dive out of the way”.

“On that night he went out with his sister and brother and wasn’t intending to drive,” said Mr Buckle. But then he told his siblings he could drive because he “had nothing to lose”.

As well as sending him to a young offenders' institute, Judge Gioserano banned Barlow from holding a driving licence for two years after which he must sit an extended retest.

“I am told you are intelligent. I am afraid I am not seeing these signs in the way you are behaving,” he told Barlow.