A MANIAC motorbike thief led police on a high-speed chase through a town after stealing the powerful 450cc machine, a court heard.

Aaron Smith was today (Tuesday, October 1) told by a judge that it was a miracle nobody was killed when he raced through Redcar on June 15 this year.

Smith had been given a suspended prison sentence by magistrates for taking another motorbike just two weeks before the drunken drama.

Teesside Crown Court heard that he shoved the owner off the KTM 450 as he chatted with friends in the street and sped off on it.

The 22-year-old banned driver weaved in and out of traffic, narrowly missed other vehicles, and sped down a residential side-street.

Prosecutor Martin Robertshaw told the court that children and other pedestrians crossing a road had to jump out of the way.

Jailing him for a total of 14 months, Judge Michael Taylor told Smith, of Laburnum Road, Redcar: "It's a miracle nobody was killed."

Smith admitted charges of dangerous driving, taking a vehicle without consent, driving while disqualified and common assault.

Mr Robertshaw told the court that the owner of the motorbike alerted police after being pushed off it in Scott Street, Redcar.

Officers spotted the bike shortly afterwards as it was ridden erratically on the wrong side of the road, the prosecutor said.

At one point, it smashed into plastic bollards on a traffic island and Smith came crashing off but he got back on and sped off.

Mr Robertshaw said police described the riding as "manic" as he continued to dodge in and out of heavy tea-time traffic.

Nigel Soppitt, mitigating, told Judge Taylor: "He accepts that he was wholly, wholly reckless on that day.

"He does accept, very plainly, he has driven with total disregard for other road-users."

He said Smith had sought help from drug and alcohol workers since being remanded in custody, and said: "That augurs well."

Judge Taylor told him: "This is the 25th time you have appeared in court. Predominantly your record relates to vehicle crime.

"You rode in the most foolhardy and dangerous manner. It was a miracle nobody was killed."

Smith was also banned from the roads for two years.