A MAN drove a stolen car at speeds of up to 80 mph the wrong way down a dual carriageway and went through a series of red lights, a court heard.

Anthony Hamer, aged 19, of Musgrave Road, Heaton, Bolton appeared before Rochdale magistrates and admitted taking a vehicle from Bolton without consent and driving dangerously. He also admitted interfering with another vehicle and driving whilst disqualified and without insurance.

A 17-year-old youth from Bolton who was a passenger in the car admitted taking a vehicle from Bolton without consent and interfering with another vehicle.

Hamer was remanded on bail with a curfew while a pre-sentence report is prepared. He will re-appear in court for sentencing on November 29. The case of the 17-year-old was sent to the youth court to be dealt with.

Mr Mike Church-Taylor, prosecuting, said a car was taken from Bolton in the early hours of the morning and driven in Rochdale in a manner "bordering on the insane."

The car skipped several traffic lights and on one of the town's main roads pulled onto the other side of a dual carriageway to get round a stationary car and went through red lights again.

The vehicle hit speeds of 80 mph along Queensway and Manchester Road before pursuing police forced Hamer to stop.

Mr Church-Taylor said: "Fortunately for him no-one was hurt and no damage was done and to his credit Hamer immediately admitted everything, including the fact that he and the other youth had interfered with another car in Rochdale after the vehicle they had originally taken ran out of petrol."

The court heard that Hamer had been released from prison in April after serving 15 months for arson.

The bench agreed to keep the matter within their jurisdiction and ordered the reports.