A MOTORING enthusiast who spun his open-top sports car -- containing two models -- around in a car park for a photographer, failed to overturn his dangerous driving conviction.

Christopher Graham Wilson, 36, of Lawnwood Avenue, Chorley, was convicted at Burnley Crown Court on March 21 last year for 'doing a doughnut' in Asda, Colne's, overspill car park.

John Wishart, defending, explained to top Criminal Appeal Court judges that 'doughnuts' were manoeuvres whereby a car is spun quickly around its own axis while creating smoke from the spinning rear tyres.

Wilson was fined £150 and ordered to pay £200 towards costs.

Because of the unusual circumstances, he was not disqualified from driving.

Mr Justice Holland, sitting with Lord Justice Kay and Mr Justice Andrew Smith, rejected submissions that the verdict was 'unsafe' as the trial judge had not emphasised to the jury the limited scope of the prosecution case against Wilson. The offence took place during a 'Max Power' magazine event in December, 1999.

Mr Wishart said a photographer was to take pictures of Wilson doing a doughnut in his BMW open-top convertible saloon car, 'complete with two female models.'

At one stage, a policeman gave Wilson a verbal warning relating to the lack of a roll-over bar to protect occupants if the car overturned.

But expert evidence confirmed the car did have struts incorporated in the windscreen assembly which duplicated as a roll-over bar.