MOTORIST Mark McArthur was more than three times the drink drive limit when he crashed into the back of a police car waiting at a junction.

Blackburn magistrates heard that McArthur then sped off with the police car in pursuit and raced through a red light causing another vehicle to make an emergency stop.

The chase only came to an end when McArthur crashed into some road works, causing his car to leave the ground, land on its front end, and come to rest facing in the opposite direction to which it had been travelling.

And when approached by an officer McArthur said: "You can only do me for drink driving and I have only been drinking whisky."

McArthur, 21, of Hastings Close, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving with excess alcohol and failing to stop after an accident. He was remanded on bail until October 31 for pre-sentence reports.

McArthur, who gave a reading of 109 against the legal limit of 35, was made subject to an interim disqualification.

Tom Snape, prosecuting, said an officer on mobile patrol had been at the bottom of North Road in Blackburn at 11.15pm, waiting to join the traffic on Audley Range. He looked in his mirror and saw a Rover Metro coming up behind.

"His car was moved forward and there was a scraping noise and then the Metro pulled on to Audley Range and moved off at speed," said Mr Snape. The officer estimated the car's speed at about 55mph and at the junction with Queen's Park Road the Metro went through a red light, forcing another car to make an emergency stop. The incident ended when the Metro crashed into the road works at the junction with Bennington Street.

Basharat Ditta, defending, said he accepted the magistrates would want a pre-sentence report before passing sentence.

"Clearly these are serious offences and clearly you will leave all options open to the sentencing bench," said Mr Ditta.