A man who led police on a chase in a stolen car where he drove on the wrong side of the M61 twice has been jailed.

Cody Crompton, of Varley Road, Bolton, carried out the offences just a month after being spared jail.

At Bolton Crown Court he was told someone could have been killed as a result of his actions.

The court heard a Ford Fiesta was stolen from Whitworth in Lancashire in June year.

Police officers later spotted it being driven on Back Hulton Lane, Bolton.

The vehicle, being driven by Crompton, later drove away from police.

Katherine Wright, prosecuting, said: “The Ford proceeded down Platt Hill Avenue at speed before going off road on a small grass area.

“It collided with a green electrical box and smashed off the driver’s side window.

“It proceeded down Wigan Road in excess of 60mph in a 30mph zone.”

The car went on to speed around a roundabout before joining the M61 and going onto the roundabout and travelling against the direction of traffic on the hard shoulder.

At this point officers ended the pursuit but another police vehicle later spotted the car.

The Fiesta left the motorway before returning to it and again drove on the wrong side.

The car was abandoned and Crompton was detained in Chew Moor.

Crompton appeared in court to be sentenced after admitting aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving, driving without insurance and while disqualified.

The court heard he had been given a suspended sentence for dangerous driving, where he was not the driver but allowed himself to be carried in the vehicle, just a month before this incident took place.

It was also accepted he had not stolen the Ford Fiesta he drove dangerously.

Michael Johnson, defending, said he “did not learn his lesson” after receiving the suspended sentence.

He added: “We have a young man, this is extremely reckless risk taking behaviour which could have had terrible consequences for other people but also for the defendant.”

He said Crompton had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity but knew the sentence would be one of imprisonment.

Recorder Simon Hilton, imposing a sentence, said: “This was a very bad example of dangerous driving.

“People could have been killed, that is not a glib thing to say in a way that judges often say when they sentence people for dangerous driving.

“People in these residential areas would not be expecting a car coming down at 60mph, and people on the motorway would not expect to be pushed out of the way by someone coming at speed behind them.”

He jailed Crompton for nine months and banned him from the roads for two years and required him to sit and extended retest before he can drive again.