A DRIVER'S "five seconds of madness" left two of his passengers seriously injured.

Oliver Beadle sped up over the brow of a hill in Hollowhead Lane, Wilpshire, and sent his car hurtling into a wall.

Blackburn magistrates were told that the spot had become a target for young drivers filming their cars "taking off" on the hill.

And the court heard the front seat passenger in Beadle's car felt they had left the ground before going into a spin and crashing into a wall.

Beadle, of Danvers Street, Rishton, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and no insurance.

He was given 120 days in prison suspended for 12 months with £300 compensation and £45 costs.

The court was told Beadle had been giving three friends a lift.

The 17-year-old front-seat passenger said when they approached the top of Hollow Head Lane, Beadle began to accelerate towards the brow of the hill. As they cleared the brow all four wheels left the ground momentarily.

The car landed and began to spin before crashing into the wall.

Two of the passengers were taken by air ambulance to Royal Preston Hospital with serious injuries.

A police accident investigator put the car's speed at take-off at between 51 and 63mph.

Lorraine Lester, whose wall was demolished in the crash, said they had been bothered by young men setting up cameras and taking picture of their friends jumping cars over the hill.

Basharat Ditta, def-ending, said it was clear from witness statements there had been no problem with Beadle's driving for all but five seconds of the journey.

He added: "He went over the crest of the hill at speed knowing that for a split second all four wheels would leave the ground "It is those few seconds that make him guilty of dangerous driving and that is the totality of the allegation against him.

"It was simply five seconds of madness."