Police pursuing a 70mph motoring menace on residential roads gave up the chase after it became too dangerous to continue.

Dash-cam footage caught banned driver Steven Paul Kidd speeding along vehicle-lined roads through Upperby and Currock, Carlisle, in wet weather on Christmas Eve.

This was played at Carlisle Crown Court as 19-year-old Kidd was jailed for 14 months.

Prosecutor Colette Renton said the footage was taken from a police vehicle which began pursuing Kidd just after 10pm at Oaklands Drive.

Despite blue lights being illuminated, Kidd motored along Scalegate Road in a Vauxhall Vectra.

He failed to give way and then mounted a pavement as he drove on to Millholme Avenue before heading towards Blackwell Road.

“In fact as a result of the danger of the chase, it was the police decision to cease to continue with that matter because of the fear of harm to the public,” said Ms Renton.

“The vehicle at one point reached 70mph in a 30mph residential area.”

Kidd and two passengers were seen to exit the vehicle and run from the scene.

Police finally caught up with Kidd five days later after he was seen to move a Volkswagen Golf in a pub car park off Collier Lane, behind Botchergate. Kidd was said to have 21 offences on his criminal record.

“The majority of them are somehow related to driving,” said Ms Renton.

Neil Ronan, defending, said the “most compelling mitigation” he could offer on behalf of Kidd were guilty pleas to four offences. These were dangerous driving, two counts of driving while disqualified, and driving without insurance.

The teen’s admissions, said Mr Ronan, demonstrated his “remorse and contrition”.

“Mercifully it was relatively short,” Mr Ronan said of the pursuit. “There were no injuries. There was no damage caused.”

But jailing Kidd, of Oaklands Drive, Carlisle, Judge James Adkin concluded that the “potential for a terrible accident” had been “intense”.

Kidd was handed a two-year driving ban, and must pass an extended retest.