A MAN who drove down a pedestrian alleyway in a desperate bid to shake off pursuing cops after a high speed car chase through Stourbridge town centre has avoided jail.

Recorder Christopher Millington QC at Wolverhampton Crown Court told Andrew Fisher: "It is a miracle you did not cause any damage or serious injury to anyone walking in the area".

He said it was an extremely serious offence but because the 21-year-old appeared to be addressing his personal problems he ruled it was in his best interests to be offered guidance to help him stay out of further trouble with police.

Fisher, who had no driving licence or insurance, bought a car for £260 just two days before being involved in the police chase and he "panicked" when he saw a patrolling police car on Stourbridge Ring Road.

The Recorder said: "When you realised the police were after you tried to avoid detection by driving off at high speed."

He branded Fisher's driving "highly dangerous" saying he hit speeds of up to 60mph in a 30mph limit and drove the wrong way along a dual carriageway.

Fisher then drove at speed across a garage forecourt to get back onto the main carriageway before driving down the alleyway in Pebble Close - which was when officers lost sight of his vehicle.

But Deborah Gould, prosecuting, said police spotted Fisher, and the man who had been his passenger, walking in the Amblecote area a short time later and he was arrested.

Fisher, of Lawrence Lane, Cradley Heath, admitted driving dangerously and without a licence or insurance and he was given a nine-month jail term suspended for a year.

He was further placed on Supervision for a year, ordered to carry out 150 hours unpaid work in the community and disqualified from driving for two years.

Miss Gould said Fisher drove at speed along Stepping Stones in Stourbridge before driving down the alleyway during the pursuit and after his arrest he accepted his driving had put others at risk.

Amanda Tompkins, defending, said Fisher had been homeless at the time and he had bought the car for "somewhere to sleep" and he drove the way he did when he saw the police car.

She said Fisher had been going through a difficult time after losing his job, his accommodation and he had been sleeping rough.