DEATHS during high-speed police chases have risen dramatically in the past seven months.

Since the beginning of April, 29 people have died, 11 of them while they were driving cars being pursued and 10 were passengers in those vehicles.

Three pedestrians and two other motorists were also killed by cars being chased by police.

In the early hours of Sunday, taxi driver Mohamedali Patel, aged 34 from Bolton and one of his passengers, 25-year-old Christopher Robinson, died following a police pursuit.

Traffic officers on patrol saw a red Vauxhall Cavalier and a red Toyota Corola drove past them along Bury Road at speeds of up to 100mph shortly after 2.30am.

They followed the drivers who raced through traffic lights at the junction of Crompton Way but lost sight of the vehicles as they drove round the bend of Long Lane.

AS they drove round the corner, they discovered a four car accident involving both vehicles, a white Fiat van and a white Toyota Corina.

Earlier this month, 14-year-old Craig Whelan died when he crashed a car during a police chase which started in Bury.

The teenager from Salford was killed when the Reliant Rialto he was driving hit a sign on the slip road of the M60 at junction 15.

He was originally spotted driving down Rochdale Road, in Bury, by police officers who suspected he was not wearing a seat belt.

Both incidents have been referred voluntarily by Greater Manchester Police to the Police Complaints Authority (PCA).

The PCA is concerned about the rising death toll and has launched a research programme to find out why there has been such an increase. PCA spokesman Richard Offer said: "We are very worried by these figures and believe the increase in the number of pursuit deaths is the most worrying problem we are dealing with."

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has also hit out at the rising figures, which nationally have more than tripled in four years.

Campaigners are calling for more and regular training of how the police undertake pursuits.

"We are concerned that some police drivers may get a red mist where they get drawn into the chase," said society spokesman Roger Vincent.

"Pursuits should only be used as a last resort and some of the people who take cars want to be chased. There needs to be better surveillance from helicopters and more use of stingers -- where spikes are put on the road to stop the cars in their tracks.

"But we do understand that police have cash restraints on them and that there may not be enough cars on the roads at the time.

"It is important that someone in the police control room takes total control and has experience of this kind of work so that if necessary he can call off the chase. No members of the public should ever be endangered - even if the criminal gets away."

However, Bolton Councillor Frank White, who is member of Greater Manchester Police Authority, said it was a complex issue that could not be looked at in isolation.

"Officers will always seek to apprehend the criminal but they will not put the public or the person driving the vehicle at risk," he said.

"It is a very delicate balancing act which must be looked at from both perspectives.

"Recently we have a couple of officers highly commended after a chase where the people in the car were taking pot shots at the police and the public.

"It is in these cases that the police have to pursue and make an arrest.

"With the joyriders, they are speeding anyway and putting the public at risk."

Bolton road safety campaigner Anne Jones of RoadPeace siad she blamed car manufacturers and television advertisers for the way cars and the speeds they can reach are advertised.

"Some of this is not about the police, it is our own attitudes that I think we should be looking at.

Referring to an advert on television for a Vauxhall Zafira where school children were seen to be jealous of others because their dad had the better car, she added: "That one just makes me angry because it is sending out a bad message. The cool dad is the one with the big, flash car and this is disgusting.

"This worries me greatly because of the power of advertising.

"Equally the car programmes go on about vehicles that can do up to 120mph. Why should they even make cars that go that fast when the speed limit is 70mph?

"Car manufacturers could do an awful lot and could immediately kill speed.

"I think police chases are a very complex issue and the police have a very difficult job.

"Young men joyriding in cars frightens me to death. The police must stop these people because they are risking other people's lives anyway, but chases through public streets are a bad idea.

"It is a difficult balancing act but I think it is better that the stolen car, or criminal disappears than someone gets hurt."

A spokeswoman for Greater Manchester Police said there were specific and detailed guidelines which were in place for high speed police pursuits.

"All officers in the force involved in such incidents receive full training.

"They are trained to maintain the appropriate distance and speed in relation to each specific incident and always consider the safety of members of the public.

"The safety of the officers, the driver and/or passenger in the other vehicle and members of the public are paramount.

"GMP closely adheres to the national guidelines and where any fatality occurs during the course of a police pursuit, the matter will always be referred to the independent PCA who will supervise the investigation.

"As a force, we take our responsibilities in this matter very seriously."