A TEENAGER who drove straight into the path of a taxi during a terrifying high speed police chase has been jailed.

The taxi driver was forced to take quick action to avoid being hit by the VW Golf driven by 18-year-old Liam Pether, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

During the pursuit through Netherton and Pedmore, the Quarry Bank teen also drove on the wrong side of the road, went the wrong way around a traffic island and ran red lights.

"This was a persistent piece of bad driving as you made a determined bid to get away from the police," Judge Amjad Nawaz told Pether, adding that he had "showed a complete disregard for anyone else on the road".

The judge said it was down to good fortune that the teenager had not killed or injured anyone during the chase, which ended when he abandoned the car.

Neil Ahujla, prosecuting, said Pether ran off to try and hide but he was spotted by a helicopter designed to pick up the body heat and was quickly arrested.

At the time of the offence, Pether was on bail for raiding a house in Scotts Road, Stourbridge.

He had taken valuable computer equipment from the house, having gained access through a rear door.

The court heard he left a fingerprint at the scene which enabled investigating officers to track him down and after his arrest he maintained he was friends with the householder.

But that was repudiated by the owner of the property, whose child had been badly affected by the fact the house had been raided.

Pether, of Coppice Lane, admitted burglary and dangerous driving and he was jailed for 16 months and disqualified from driving for 26 months.