A MOTORIST has been jailed for 21 days after causing a crash which forced several other drivers to swerve to avoid wreckage on the Padiham bypass.

Road police said the behaviour of drivers like Mohammed Usman Saddique, who was also disqualified from driving for two years, is all too common on East Lancashire’s roads.

Saddique, 26, of Station Road, Barnoldswick, was behind the wheel of a high-powered BMW 335 M Sport when it collided with a number of cars, including a Mini, in June 2015, Burnley Crown Court heard.

He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and was also told he must take a mandatory retest.

After the case, PC Mick Baker, said: “Unfortunately this case is not uncommon and highlights what we are seeing in terms of dangerous driving in the area of late with cars speeding and driving irresponsibly.

“Fortunately the people in the other cars received only minor injuries but the result could have been much worse or even fatal.

“The road had to be closed for around three hours, causing much inconvenience for other road users.

He added: “Let this serve as a reminder that driving dangerously could land you in jail and stop you from driving for a long time.”

Saddique had been driving from the Padiham area towards Nelson when the collision happened close to Fence village.

Officers in the Pennine area are also warning rogue drivers that they have them in their sights.

PC Baker said: “I would like to reassure the public that we targeting people driving dangerously, particularly when we receive information from members of the public relating to vehicles perceived to be racing.

“We are also actively targeting other offences such as people not wearing seatbelts, mobile phone usage along with drink or drug driving to reduce road traffic collisions and to increase general road safety.”