AN alcoholic who stole his ex-partner's car, went on the motorway drunk and crashed has been warned he could be jailed.

Burnley magistrates heard how Timothy Philip Hughes, 27, who was not insured either, had been speeding on the M65.

The defendant, who was almost three times the legal limit, had clocked up his third drink driving offence.

Hughes, of Ferndale Street, Burnley, admitted taking a vehicle without consent, driving with excess alcohol, no licence and no insurance, on August 21.

He was bailed until October 19, for a pre-sentence report, given an interim ban and was warned that custody was not being ruled out. The bench told the defendant his actions had been pre-meditated and he had been a great risk to other road users.

Andrew Creswell, prosecuting, told the court Hughes was arrested and taken to the police station, where a test showed 97 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - the legal limit is 35.

He accepted the collision on the M65 and claimed he had then panicked and had a drink. Hughes had convictions for drink driving in 1998 and 2000.

Graeme Tindall, defending, said there was no direct evidence of Hughes driving the car or of a collision and no evidence anybody was hurt.

There was little or no explanation why the defendant committed the offences other than he felt like going for a drive.

Mr Tindall added that Hughes accepted he had a drink problem and that he was an alcoholic. He knew something needed to be done.