BANNED motorist Jamie Manderson has been jailed for 17 months after a court heard how he was chased across Swindon in a stolen Mini Metro.

The 28-year-old, who has 28 driving while disqualified offences in his 154 previous convictions, drove away from a patrol car because his female passenger was wanted by the police.

A chase then ensued during which Manderson drove across pavements and through red lights, putting schoolchildren walking home in danger.

Jane Warren, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that Manderson first stole a white Metro from a car park off Drakes Way at lunchtime on February 28. But he only got as far as Greenbridge shopping centre when the vehicle ran out of petrol so he broke into a red Metro belonging to a store worker and drove off in that.

Manderson, who was on bail for three counts of driving while disqualified at the time, was then spotted by police at about 3.30pm that afternoon as he drove along Bath Road.

"There was then a chase with him driving on the pavement, through red traffic lights, undertaking vehicles and forcing past when there was no priority,"said Miss Warren.

When the Metro finally came to a stop he was arrested. Miss Warren said that he was subject to two driving disqualifications at the time of the offence. The first was imposed in October 2000 for dangerous driving and the second, a two year ban under the penalty point totting procedures, was from last June.

She said he was also on bail after being caught driving while disqualified once in November last year and twice in January this year.

The court heard that among his 154 previous convictions mainly for motoring matters but including a robbery for which he was the driver and received a four and half year prison term were two for dangerous driving.

Although it is mandatory for an extended re-test to be sat after such an offence, Manderson had failed to do so after either.

Manderson, of Cherbury Walk, Walcot, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, two counts of taking without the owner's consent, five driving while disqualified, four without insurance, and one of failing to surrender to custody.

Rob Ross, defending, said that the dangerous driving covered a distance of about one and a half miles over seven minutes and, though serious, did not feature excess speed or going the wrong way on roundabouts.

Jailing him, Recorder Malcolm Gibney also banned him from the road for three years and told him he would have to pass an extended retest before he could get his licence back.