A dangerous driver has been told that “enough is enough” after his third such offence.

Kallum Barlow, 25, had been driving through Bolton on January 22 this year when police  tried to stop him.

Bolton Crown Court heard how he started to speed up after the officers turned their emergency lights on.

Brian Kennelly KC, prosecuting, said: “The vehicle failed to stop, it speeded up and a pursuit began.”

Mr Kennelly told the court how Barlow, of Preston Road in Darwen, sped along Wigan Road and at one point appeared to stop for police, only to start up again at high speeds.

The Bolton News: The case was heard at Bolton Crown CourtThe case was heard at Bolton Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)

He overtook several cars on the wrong side of the road during the pursuit before eventually coming to a stop and being arrested nearby.

At various points he reached speeds of up to 70mph in a 40mph area.

Barlow, who at the age of just 25 has 11 previous convictions for 22 offences, gave no comment when interviewed by officers but gave a pre-prepared statement saying he had “panicked.”

Kevin Liston, defending, accepted that the young man’s record made his situation much more dangerous.

He said: “He knows full well that a custodial sentence is firmly on the horizon.”

But Mr Liston added that he was entitled to credit for having pleaded guilty and claimed that he had been in regular work since then which had been a “stabilising influence.”

This, he said, showed that there was “still hope for the future.”

Judge Tom Gilbart accepted that Barlow had shown a degree of remorse since driving the way he had last January but he reminded the court of the 25-year-old’s “extremely poor record.”

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Addressing the defendant, he said: “This was a deliberate decision to ignore the rules of the road and disregard the safety of others.”

He added: “The day must come when the court must say that enough is enough.

“That day has come.”

Judge Gilbart sentenced Barlow to a year in prison and banned him from the roads for four years.

The ban will be extended by six months to take account of his time in prison.