AN angry dad who twice "bumped" a vehicle carrying his mother-in-law after his children were taken from his home, has been jailed for 10 months.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Mark Wade, 38, armed himself with a piece of wood and then damaged a car with his estranged wife and family inside and hit his father-in-law on the back.

Judge David Pirie told him the use of a vehicle as a weapon, followed by further violence, had to be marked with a custodial sentence.

Wade, of Cutler Crescent, Blackburn, admitted dangerous driving, careless driving and affray. He was also disqualified from driving for two years.

John Bailey, prosecuting, said the defendant was estranged from his wife, Kimberley Bond, and saw the children each Saturday. In May 1998, he arrived to pick them up later than arranged and there was a row over when they should be returned. Wade kept the children at his mother's house overnight and the following morning his estranged wife, her friend and boyfriend arrived. Ms Bond took the elder two children into a vehicle driven by the boyfriend and her father went into the house for the other child. Wade became annoyed, got into his vehicle and followed the car with Ms Bond, the boyfriend and children in and a motor tricycle carring his parents in law.

Mr Bailey said the defendant was hooting his horn and on several occasions hit the tricycle, bumping into it from the back. He was stopped and when he got out of his car, he was carrying a baseball bat. He went and smashed the windscreen of the vehicle in which his estranged wife was travelling. Police arrived and a short chase followed.

John Woodward, defending, said Wade had gone back to his old ways when the relationship broke down.

The defendant felt very aggrieved the way the children were taken away from him on that day. He felt his former wife was not really looking after them as well as she ought and he kept them.