A 15-YEAR-old disqualified driver has appeared before a youth court after pleading guilty to a range of driving offences.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was eventually tracked down by officers following a high-speed chase through residential streets on Saturday, September 10.

The Northern Echo:

The scene on Greenfield Way, Newton Aycliffe, following the chase. Picture: DURHAM RPU

Officers from Durham Police’s Road Policing Unit (RPU) were deployed into strategic positions in the Shildon area after a silver Nissan Micra was reported stolen from Byers Green, County Durham.

The incident, which happened shortly after 7pm, saw Durham RPU travelling to Newton Aycliffe after the vehicle was spotted in the area.

The stolen Micra failed to stop for the police and a pursuit involving an unmarked RPU vehicle and other patrol cars saw the vehicle travelling at speeds of up to 60mph in a 30mph zone.

The driver, from the Spennymoor area, was charged with aggravated vehicle taking, driving while disqualified, driving while uninsured and two counts of assaulting a police officer.

The 15-year-old pleaded guilty in youth court on Monday, September 12, and received an 18-month detention order.

The Northern Echo:

The scene on Greenfield Way, Newton Aycliffe, following the chase. Picture: DURHAM RPU

Dashcam footage from a police vehicle picked up the dramatic chase which saw the force's black BMW and the Micra both damaged during the pursuit which came to an end on the outskirts of Newton Aycliffe.

A Durham RPU spokesman said: “Control room gave authorisation for Tactical Pursuit and Containment (TPAC) and the vehicle was brought to a halt on Greenfield Way.”