A TEENAGER who sped past a nursery, school and college at 80-miles-per-hour in a stolen car has been jailed.

Burnley Crown Court heard Luke Pilkington, 19, committed the dangerous driving offence one month after Judge Beverley Lunt had given him a suspended prison sentence for affray.

Prosecutor Susan Carter said Pilkington, of Whalley Road, Accrington, committed the offence in an Audi A6, which he bought after it had been stolen overnight between June 4 and 5.

It was reported stolen on June 5 when a friend of the car owner Lee Clayton saw it being driven by an unidentified man in Blackburn Road, Accrington.

The court heard police had been on the lookout for the car and saw Pilkington driving it in Manchester Road, Accrington, at around 10.10am on June 9.

Initially it was being driven within the speed limit but as it reached Hollins Lane, Accrington, Pilkington increased his speed to 80mph in a 20 zone.

Ms Carter said Pilkington drove the wrong way down a one-way street and seeing another vehicle coming in the opposite direction, ‘slammed on the brakes’ and came to an abrupt stop. But as he did so he crashed into a parked car.

The court heard Pilkington had gone over a number of speed bumps during the pursuit and caused significant damage to the underside of the Audi.

Pilkington ran off from the scene and when he was eventually arrested by police answered no comment during interview.

Pilkington pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving without insurance, handling stolen goods and breaching a suspended sentence order made on May 5.

Defending, Clare Thomas said: “He has no recollection as to why he bought the car. It was offered to him by a friend and he took the decision to buy it. He has no recollection as to why he drove in the manner he did. He is clearly someone who is very immature.”

Jailing Pilkington for 18 months in a young offender’s institution, Judge Lunt said he had blown the chance she had given him to turn his life around.

She said: “This is a very bad piece of driving. You have got to speeds of up to 80mph in a 20mph zone. You have driven the wrong way in a one-way street and created an obvious danger.”

He was also banned from driving for 21 months and ordered to take an extended driving test.