A MAN tried to escape police by driving at speeds of up to 124mph.

Bolton Crown Court heard how Michael Turner led officers on a 20 minute pursuit through the streets of Westhoughton, Horwich and Blackrod before he was eventually stopped.

The early-hours-of-the-morning chase went on for so long in the rain that the police helicopter and officers from Lancashire Police were able to join their Greater Manchester colleagues.

Judge Timothy Stead told 24-year-old Turner: "This piece of driving was extremely dangerous.

"Luckily the roads were very lightly used and the police drove with considerable skill."

Joshua Bowker, prosecuting, told how Turner's silver Vauxhall Vectra was spotted by police in Blackrod just before 1.30am on January 4 last year.

But Turner refused to stop when the unmarked police car turned on its blue flashing lights.

Mr Bowker told how Turner reached speeds of 80mph as he turned onto Manchester Road and went on to travel along residential streets, with 20mph limits, at 60mph.

Turner sped through red lights, cut corners, turned off his headlights and sometimes drove on the wrong side of the road.

At one point Turner lost control of the vehicle and spun 180 degrees before forcing his way past the pursuing police cars.

In Adlington, heading towards Horwich, the driver reached speed of more than 100mph.

At Crown Lane, Horwich, police deployed a stinger to deflate his tyres and officers eventually managed to bring the car to a controlled stop, but not before he had tried to get past their vehicles by mounting a pavement and ripping off his own bumper.

Turner fled and was found hiding in a shed.

Mr Bowker said the pursuing police officer had described Turner's driving as "one of the worst episodes of driving he had ever seen".

The court heard that Turner, of Bromwich Street, Bolton, has no previous convictions and he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving.

Nicholas Ross, defending, said Turner had "panicked" when he saw the police car behind him.

"It seems to be that he knew he had smoked some cannabis the previous night," he said.

"This was 20 minutes of madness."

Mr Ross stressed that Turner was only summonsed to court eight months after the pursuit and, in the last 14 months, has not committed any further offences.

Judge Timothy Stead told Turner that if he had been in court just weeks after the offence then he may have found himself going to prison immediately. But he has not misbehaved since.

"In these circumstances it would be harsh to imprison you immediately," he said.

Instead he sentenced the former delivery driver to eight months in prison suspended for a year.

Turner was also ordered to do 150 hours unpaid work and was banned from driving for 23 months, after which he will have to pass an extended retest.

Turner's car, which was seized by police, has been confiscated.