A Bolton man who drove a stolen vehicle and crashed into a car with a couple and an eight-month-old baby inside has escaped a jail sentence.

Cameron Stanton was behind the wheel of a Vauxhall Astra which he became aware was stolen.

Inside the car, also aware it was stolen, was Coby Crompton.

Bolton Crown Court heard in January this year the vehicle was reported missing from Beaumont Road in the town.

The vehicle was spotted at 4pm in the evening and did not stop for police.

On Wigan Road it accelerated to speeds of 70mph before moving onto Chorley New Road.

During the chase members of the public had to get out of the way, the vehicle ignored bollards and hit one Vauxhall Corsa.

The pursuit continued and another Corsa was hit, which carried a man, his partner and their eight-month old baby.

Later on the car was abandoned and Stanton and Crompton tried to escape the police but were detained later.

Alison Mather, prosecuting, read a victim personal statement from the man whose car was hit with family inside.

It said they had been taken to hospital as a result and had suffered “stress trying to sort the insurance".

Stanton, 20, appeared in court after admitting aggravated vehicle taking and driving without a licence or insurance.

Crompton, 18, appeared to be sentenced after admitting aggravating vehicle taking by allowing himself to be carried in a stolen vehicle.

Rebecca Filletti, defending Stanton, said she accepted it was a “serious matter” and said “he wants the court to know how genuinely sorry he is for this".

She said he had no previous convictions, references from employers and his grandmother and he had been led into it by “peer pressure".

Jane Miller, defending Crompton, said there was “no suspicion he was the driver” and he was one of three passengers.

Judge Elliot Knopf said to Crompton: “Your stupidity and selfishness exposed many people to risk, not just the drivers the people who had to move from the car.

“There was a collision with another vehicle in which was a man his partner with their baby son.

“The car was damaged, fortunately no serious injuries were sustained.”

But he said he accepted Stanton had “shown remorse” and had taken steps to distance himself from the factors that led him to offend.

He imposed a sentence of 12 months suspended for two years on Stanton, from Duncombe Road, Great Lever, and ordered him to attend at 32 rehabilitation activity requirement days and do 200 hours of unpaid work and pay compensation of £400 to the man whose car was hit with his child inside.

He imposed a sentence of four months suspended for two years on Crompton, of Varley Road, Bolton, and ordered him to attend 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days and do 150 hours of unpaid work.

He banned him from the roads for a year.