A BANNED driver from County Durham who led police on a 120mph pursuit has been jailed by a judge who slammed his "disgraceful and catastrophic" conduct.

Complaints initially surfaced about Patrick Raymond Campbell's "erratic" control of a Ford Mondeo on the M6 northbound near Tebay, Cumbria on April 13 last year.

Police waited on a slip road and then began a 12-mile pursuit as Campbell left the motorway at Junction 38 at around 1pm.

Dash-cam footage played to Carlisle Crown Court showed breathtaking near-misses with oncoming traffic as the 25-year-old made daring overtakes on the A685 while under the influence of alcohol in a bid to evade capture. Some vehicles were forced to pull over.

The Northern Echo:

Police hit 120mph on a 60mph stretch of road with blue lights illuminated as they tried to keep up with Campbell. They also reached 60mph along residential areas of Kirkby Stephen before Campbell turned up a dead end and fled his car.

He was swiftly captured and detained with the help of two members of the public but verbally abused officers, struggled and behaved violently in a police vehicle before refusing to take a breath test.

Prosecutor Beccy McGregor described "appalling" driving by Campbell who, she said, "has never passed his driving test".

He made no comment when interviewed, but later admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, failing to provide a specimen, obstructing police and no insurance.

The court heard Campbell had 20 crimes to his name, including previous offences of banned driving and obstructing police. He had also been handed a previous prison sentence for another dangerous driving incident.

Kelleigh Lodge, defending, said: "I don't put forward any other explanation other than he panicked, knowing he didn't have a licence. He is genuinely sorry."

Jailing him for 28 months and imposing a three-year driving ban, Judge Peter Davies described the latest criminal conduct behind the wheel as "terrible", "disgraceful and catastrophic".

"I have never seen a worse form of driving, " Judge Davies told Campbell, of Melrose Drive, St Helen Auckland, County Durham.

"It was a miracle nobody died in lorries, in their cars, in their vans. It was a miracle that the lives of police officers who were chasing you were not put at more significant risk."