A ‘functioning alcoholic’ who was three times over the limit cannot remember ‘swerving all over the road’ as he led police on a lengthy chase around Rossendale.

Tyrone Howarth, 32, was jailed for his prolonged dangerous drunk driving and was jailed at the same time for beating up his mother in a separate incident.

Lisa Worsley, prosecuting at Burnley Crown Court, said PC Simon Grant was in an unmarked car on March 18, just before 8.30pm, when he spotted a Vauxhall Estate being driven on the A56 swerving left and right across the lanes of the dual carriageway.

He started to follow the car which continued to swerve side to side and tried to stop it while blocking both lanes to protect traffic.

Howarth, who was driving, was narrowly missing the central reservation and PC Grant asked for a stinger to be deployed.

Howarth managed to avoid to stinger and came off the bypass and started driving through Haslingden.

At this point, PC Grant put on his blue lights and sirens and a pursuit began.

He was driving at speeds of up to 70mph in 30mph zones through the town centre, jumping red lights and narrowly missing cars.

Howarth continued driving through Rawtenstall, still at speeds of more than twice the speed limit and through another red light.

A stinger was deployed again which Howarth hit but he kept driving until he crashed into a Mini.

Howarth jumped from the car and started to run away but was quickly caught by PC Grant who could smell the alcohol on his breath.

A breathalyser reading was taken which came back at 135 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath, the legal limit being 35mcg.

A blood sample taken at the police station came back at 212mcg per litre of blood, the legal limit being 80mcg.

Mitigating, Phil Barnes said Howarth is struggling to remember the incident, likely due to the amount of alcohol in his system.

Mr Barnes said: “He needs to press reset on his life. He remembers very little indeed of the driving offence.”

He added that he has been sober since being taken into custody and is working on his alcohol addiction.

He also pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

Sentencing, Recorder Ciaran Rankin called his driving ‘absolutely appalling’ while jailing him for two years.

Howarth, of no fixed abode, received one year for dangerous driving and driving with excess alcohol and one year for the assault on his mother.

He has also been banned from driving for three years.