A GAINSBOROUGH man who led police on a high-speed, 20-minute pursuit through north Nottinghamshire later told officers he was forced to drive the stolen car.

South Yorkshire Police filmed the entire chase after the force's helicopter was brought in to follow overhead, Doncaster Crown Court heard.

The driver, Lewis MacDonald, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and having no insurance or a licence. The judge, Recorder Peter Makepeace, sent him to a young offenders' institution for 14 months and banned him from driving for a year.

The court heard the 20-year-old defendant, who had never passed a driving test, swerved his way through moving traffic on the A614 as he tried to get away from pursuing police cars in the stolen BMW last March.

MacDonald had earlier been spotted in Bircotes by officers in a patrol car who realised the X5 offroader was a stolen vehicle. But he managed to get away, said Clive Cook, prosecuting.

The defendant drove off at speed and officers were given authorisation to use a 'stinger' to puncture the tyres after the car was spotted in Blyth.

During the chase MacDonald, who was living in Harworth at the time, drove along footpaths, forced oncoming cars off the road as he headed towards the A1. He drove the wrong way around roundabouts over the motorway at Blyth services.

The BMW collided with one car and others had to brake to avoid it. His speed on the A614 reached 90mph before he finally came to a stop and abandoned the vehicle. He was apprehended not far away.

After his arrest MacDonald told police two men had visited him and told him to drive the car to an unnamed location. He claimed he felt he was unable to decline the invitation, said Mr Cook.

Defence counsel Sarah Munro said MacDonald felt he had no choice but to say 'yes' to the men – because he "knew what happened to other people" in Harworth who had refused them. She added that her client was desperate to get a driving licence to improve his employment prospects.

MacDonald, who has since moved in with his girlfriend in Gainsborough, was told by Recorder Makepeace: "This was as bad a piece of driving as I've seen. It was incredibly dangerous and the number of lives you put at risk means I cannot take any other course."