A man narrowly missed crashing his car into another vehicle as he sped away from police in a chase around Blackburn.

Warren Hadfield, 47, failed to stop for officers when they approached the car he was driving in Highfield Road, Blackburn in the early hours of January 12.

Maxwell Cope, prosecuting at Preston Crown Court, said at around 1.10am police officers sighted a silver Peugeot and conducted a PCN check.

The person insured to drive the car was a female, which did not match the description of the driver in the car, later identified to be Hadfield.

The officers approached the car and asked Hadfield to turn off the engine, but he then drove off at speed and a pursuit ensued.

Lancashire Telegraph: Warren Hadfield

Hadfield was driving at around 45mph in a 30mph zone and failed to reduce his speed at roundabouts and junctions, drove on the wrong side of the road, and almost crashed into another car.

He eventually got out of the car in Beechwood Drive where he was detained and arrested.

Mr Cope said Hadfield had been disqualified from driving on three previous occasions for similar offences.

Overall, he has 18 convictions for 60 previous offences.

Sarah Magill, mitigating, said the pre-sentence report in Hadfield’s case formed a view he was “utterly incapable of rehabilitation” but argued it cannot be right “someone can commit serious offences and never be capable at any point of redemption”.

Ms Magill added it was a “poor period of driving” and there were no passengers in the car.

Sentencing, Recorder Ayesha Siddiqi said: “This court has repeatedly sentenced you for driving offences and you have paid no heed to those sentences.

“The sentencing guidelines are simply not applicable because of the manner in which you have repeatedly ignored sentences and the penalties imposed.

“You committed these offences six days after the end of a period of post-sentence supervision.”

Hadfield, of Livesey Hall Close, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving without insurance, driving without a licence, driving whilst disqualified, and failing to stop.

He was sentenced to 16 months in prison and disqualified from driving for three years and eight months. He must also complete an extended re-test at the end of the ban period.