A BANNED driver who sparked a high-speed police chase in which he hit another vehicle head on is behind bars for a year.

Burnley Crown Court heard car-obsessed father-to-be Stephen Warburton, 21, had nine previous convictions for driving while disqualified.

At the time of the offence he was on bail after being charged with disqualified driving two days before.

Sentencing, Recorder David Aubrey, QC, told the defendant it was only good fortune that he had not killed or seriously injured himself or anybody else.

The defendant, of Cairo Street, Burnley, had earlier admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, no insurance and failing to stop after an accident on October 11.

He was banned for two years and ordered to take an extended driving test.

Alexandra Simmonds, prosecuting, said just after 2.30pm police tried to stop Warburton in Glen View Road, Burnley.

He accelerated away, clocking up 80mph in an 40mph limit, overtook on to the other side of the road and sped across a pedestrian crossing at 50mph - 20mph above the 30mph speed limit.

Officers followed the defendant to Liverpool Road, where he turned without signalling, went on to the wrong side of the road and hit another car head on.

Warburton continued to drive, causing that vehicle to smash into another.

Miss Simmonds said by now Warburton's front bumper was hanging off and scraping along the road. He still refused to stop, turned into Lowerhouse Lane and went into an alleyway.

The defendant then got out of his car and started running but was arrested for dangerous driving and failing to stop. He replied: "Arrested for what?"

At the police station, he admitted being the driver, but disputed the officers' record of the events.

David Temkin, defending, said Warburton had been in custody for just over two months.The defendant, who had to accept he would go to jail, was remorseful.

He was fascinated with cars. Warburton took the offences he was due to be sentenced for very seriously.

In the future, he intended not to drive cars but to involve himself in the mechanical side of vehicles.