A BANNED teenage driver is back behind bars after being involved in a second police vehicle pursuit in under a year.

Kyle Daniel Wright was arrested after he abandoned a Land Rover he had been driving with only three surviving tyres on a public walkway before coming to a halt in front of a gate.

Durham Crown Court heard that prior to that he drove at excessive speeds on built-up and rural roads, swerved across the carriageway, took a traffic island in the wrong direction and collided with two vehicles.

Martin Towers, prosecuting, said it was in a bid to escape a police officer in an unmarked vehicle, whose attention was drawn to the Land Rover as Wright was not wearing a seat belt, approaching the A688 Park Head roundabout, near Coundon, at 12.40pm on April 11.

When the Land Rover was seen veering into another car while taking the roundabout at speed, the officer illuminated his vehicle’s siren and blue lights.

Mr Towers said the Land Rover appeared to drift to the nearside as if the driver was struggling to maintain control, but continued travelling at speed, crossing solid centre white lines to overtake.

Having taken a traffic island in the wrong direction Wright turned onto a back lane near Byers Green and the officer noticed a deflated tyre on the Land Rover was, by then, completely flat.

Mr Towers said Wright turned onto a single-lane narrow track, then onto the Auckland Way, causing pedestrians, dog walkers and a cyclist to move to one side to avoid a collision.

Approaching a closed metal gate, Wright decamped the Land Rover, by then with only three attached tyres.

He discarded his mobile phone as he fled but ran out of breath and surrendered himself.

Mr Towers said the repair bill for the two cars damaged during the chase came to £938.

Wright, 19, of South Street, Spennymoor, admitted dangerous driving, failing to stop for police or wear a seat belt, driving while disqualified and without insurance.

The court heard his 49 previous offences include aggravated vehicle taking in May last year for which he was given a 12-month custodial sentence.

Ian West, for Wright, handed a letter from the defendant to Judge Jonathan Carroll, outlining that he appears to have now, “come to his senses”, and wants to bring an end to his offending to settle down with his family.

But Judge Carroll told Wright he has, “a dreadful track record” for motoring crime.

“This time, you were caught again all because of something as simple as not wearing a seat belt.”

The judge imposed a 16-month sentence in a young offenders’ institution and banned Wright from driving for a further two years and eight months.