A BANNED driver who clocked up more than 120mph on the motorway with police in pursuit has been jailed for 18 months.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Khobibe Ansar, 21, drove a BMW M3 convertible on the hard shoulder, went round a roundabout the wrong way and nearly hit a lorry.

He finally abandoned the car and refused to answer questions when police caught him, the court was told.

Ansar was told by Judge Raymond Bennett his driving had been appalling and there were far too many cases of people trying to escape the police. He said if the defendant had caused somebody's death he would have been facing a long jail term.

Sentencing Ansar, the judge said the message had to go out that when a police officer wanted a driver to stop they must do do, driving while disqualified was not allowed and dangerous driving would be met with a significant penalty.

Ansar, of St Paul's Road, Nelson, was earlier convicted by a jury of dangerous driving and driving while disqualified in April..

Arthur Stuttard, prosecuting, said in April police in a marked patrol car on Every Street, Nelson, saw the BMW coming towards them.

An officer recognised the defendant as being banned as he accelerated away. He turned into Manchester Road towards Brierfield about 200 yards in front of the patrol car overtaking the line of moving traffic.

He said police put on their flashing blue lights and headlights and when Ansar came to a roundabout near B and Q he overtook traffic on the offside at about 40mph. He said Ansar then went around the roundabout the wrong way, forcing an articulated lorry to brake to avoid a smash.

Mr Stuttard said the BMW went on to the motorway slipway at junction 12 with the police car behind it as it crossed double white lines and sped into the outside lane. The police vehicle, a two and half litre V6 Mondeo was doing 120mph and the defendant's car was accelerating away from it.

The court was told the police car then went round the bend towards junction 11 and noticed a cloud of dust coming from the hard shoulder in front. The BMW was about 400 yards in front, on the hard shoulder undertaking traffic.

The car then left the motorway at junction 11, stopped and Ansar tried to escape, the court was told. Police caught up with him and found on him the ignition key for the vehicle. He was arrested and taken to the police station but refused to answer questions.

The prosecutor added the defendant had been banned for six months in December 2002 for not having insurance.

Kate Blackwell, defending, said the offence was not premeditated, but was bad driving which took place on the spur of the moment.