POLICE had to ram a van driven by a dangerous driver to bring it to a stop after it headed the wrong way around a roundabout.

Bolton Crown Court heard how 20-year-old Leon Worsley, of Le Gendre Street, Tongemoor, was spotted driving the Mercedes Sprinter van on December 1 last year at 12:05pm.

The driver failed to stop for police on Bluebell Way, Preston, and careered through red lights before heading the wrong way around a roundabout during a four-minute pursuit.

Maria Brannan, prosecuting, told how Worsley, who was banned from driving, had previously committed a string of offences including being carried in a stolen car, twice taking a vehicle without consent and burglary.

On October 1 last year a Mercedes was stolen from a house in Westbourne Avenue, Bolton and three days later, with the car on false plates, Worsley was caught being carried in it with his brother, Tyrone Worsley, at the wheel.

At 6:08pm, a traffic officer looking for the stolen car, spotted it on Harrowby Street, Bolton,

And during an 11-minute pursuit, footage of which was shown in court, the car was driven at excessive speeds in a built-up area.

Tyrone Worsley drove along narrow residential streets, going over speed bumps at 50mph, at one point mounted a pavement and drove the wrong way, into oncoming traffic, around Kearsley roundabout.

The Mercedes hurtled down a motorway slip road on the wrong side of the road and reached speeds of 125mph before hitting 70mph on the wrong side of the East Lancs Road.

A dog walker was narrowly missed and the pursuit finally came to an end when police successfully deployed a stinger to deflate the tyres.

Then, at 7.50pm on November 26, Leon Worsley was spotted by police driving a Skoda on Cartmel Crescent, Bolton, which had been stolen six days earlier.

When arrested Worsley, who had previously been banned from driving, claimed he had been in a taxi with his girlfriend at the time, but when his abili was checked with the taxi firm it was found that he had not made his journey until 9.30pm.

Worsley also admitted taking a Ford Fiesta from Bolton Retail Park. It was found, four days later in Lostock bearing false number plates.

And on August 15 last year Worsley was part of a gang who smashed their way Bury-based payroll company Finesse Resources and stole 15 laptops, two iPhones, two TVs and an XBox, together worth around £10,000.

A screwdriver was recovered at the scene which had Worsley's DNA on it.

The court heard that the property was ransacked and, as a result, has had to move from the Hollins Brook Park premises.

Worsley pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving whilst banned, burglary, being carried in a stolen car, taking a vehicle without consent, having no insurance and breaching a suspended sentence.

Nicholas Ross, defending, told Recorder Andrew McLoughlin that Worsley wants help and does not wish to return to custody

Sentencing Worsley to two years and six months in a young offenders' institution, Recorder McLoughlin, said the defendant has "not come from the best of starts but he has gone off the proverbial rails in the last 12 months."

Worsley was also banned from driving for four years after which he will have to take an extended test.