A teenager who led police on a high-speed chase around Bolton did just one hour of his unpaid work sentence, a court has heard.

Josh Hopwood, aged 19, of Arnesby Grove, Bolton, was arrested for dangerous driving while under the influence of cannabis and cocaine last year.

Brought before the courts in April, he was spared jail but has now been come before Bolton Crown Court again after missing two unpaid work appointments which he had been given with a suspended sentence.

Peter Malone, prosecuting, said: “The unpaid work seems to be the only stumbling block.”

He added: “These requirements stem from serious offences and in relation to unpaid work nothing really has been carried out.”

Hopwood had been arrested last year after leading police on chase through Lawn Street, Eskrick Street and the junction of Halliwell Road and Blackburn Road at times on the wrong side of the road and running red lights.

He had two passengers with him at the time and when caught tested positive for cocaine and cannabis.

He was ordered to carry out 140 hours of unpaid work with 30 rehabilitation requirement days, but Mr Malone told the court how Hopwood had missed appointments on June 24 and 27.

Mr Malone said this came to just an hour of unpaid work and eight rehabilitation days.

Nicholas Ross, defending, claimed that Hopwood wanted to apologise for his behaviour and was ‘very polite’ in his statements.

He added that Hopwood now has a full time job and that “things seem to be moving in the right direction".

Mr Ross added that Hopwood had ‘complex needs’ but had since been able to find regular work and was now cooperating well with probation services.

Judge Tom Gilbart accepted that Hopwood had good prospects for rehabilitation but needed to engage more diligently with probation services.

He said: “I have to say, Mr Hopwood, whatever your difficulties it is pathetic really, your levels of engagement with the service.”

Judge Gilbart said he would mark the breach and ordered Hopwood to carry out an additional 10 hours of unpaid work on top of his original sentence