A 32-YEAR-OLD Bacup man led police on a high speed chase around Blackburn after he and his girlfriend were caught shoplifting.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Barry Edwards initially drove onto the pavement to get round a police car when 30 children from a nearby mosque were on the path.

And as police gave chase Edwards drove through red lights, overtook at speed and turned right onto a main road without slowing. Edwards, of Back Burnley Road, Bacup, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and stealing from Rightway Cash and Carry.

He was committed on bail to Preston Crown Court for sentence after the magistrates decided their powers of punishment were insufficient.

Neil White, prosecuting, said the dangerous driving began in Chester Street when officers positioned their car in the middle of the road as Edwards drove towards them.

He swerved past them, sped off towards Audley Range and went through a red light, turning into Bennington Street, before turning into Crossfield Street.

At the junction with Grimshaw Park a car was waiting to pull off and Edwards overtook it on the wrong side of the road and turned right into the main road without stopping.

He abandoned the car before reaching the town centre. Phillip Whittaker, defending, said Edwards had mounted the pavement briefly and there had been no danger to the nearby children.