A teenager ended up before crown court facing a prison sentence of up to two years following a police chase in which he drove 40mph in 30mph residential areas.

Callum Lewis was driving a Skoda Fabia at the speed limit when police officers pursued it and turned on their blue lights, suspecting him of being involved in “suspicious activity”.

The 18-year-old pulled over at first but then accelerated “at speed” and drove on the wrong side of the road and through a no-entry sign to Park Lane and Granville Road, central Middlesbrough.

He drove at 40mph on Woodlands Road, straight over a roundabout to Waterloo Road, then Victoria Road and Southfield Road.

Officers were told to abort the pursuit, said prosecutor Emma Atkinson.

Lewis failed to turn, understeered, hit a kerb and stopped on Acton Street just after 7.50pm on May 18.

No one else was on the roads at the time of the four-minute chase.

The route of the police chase involving Callum Lewis

Lewis, of Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, admitted dangerous driving and driving without insurance or a proper licence.

He has never taken a driving test.

The defendant told police he panicked and drove off once he saw the officers.

He had two previous convictions for aggravated vehicle taking among the 10 offences on his record, and magistrates sent his case to Teesside Crown Court for sentencing.

Duncan McReddie, defending, argued rehabilitation was needed more than punishment.

He said: “He knocks about with some older boys who buy and sell cars. He was persuaded that he could make some money from this car.

“He was unemployed. During looking at the car standing around it, talking about it, he gave in to pressure to drive it.

“Almost immediately he was stopped by police. The chase is over a short distance. The speed exceeded the speed limit but was not excessive.

“As instances of dangerous driving go, this is at the bottom of the scale.”

He added Lewis had a difficult unsettled background with behavioural problems and bereavement.

He worked as a labourer, made full admissions and understood what he did was wrong.

Judge Neil Davey QC said he first thought prison was the only solution as Lewis would not learn his lesson and “plainly can’t keep his hands off cars”.

But he took into account the teenager’s age, background, early guilty plea and “creditable progress” responding to help under a community order.

He gave Lewis a six-month custodial sentence suspended for a year with rehabilitation activity, a two-year driving ban, a £900 criminal courts charge and additional surcharge.