A MAN who ploughed a stolen car into a police car in Halesowen during a high speed chase has avoided a spell behind bars.

The pursuit began when Luke McGuire accelerated away after being ordered by officers to bring his Hyundai to a halt in Clapgate Lane.

He drove on through Carters Lane and Spies Lane before smashing into the back of the parked police vehicle which had nothing to do with the incident said Edward Soulsby prosecuting.

McGuire, aged 25, who caused over £5,000 damage to the police car got out of his wrecked car and tried to run away from the scene but he was quickly apprehended.

Charmaine Robinson defending said McGuire had paid just £400 hours earlier for the Hyundai and he suspected it had been stolen because the vehicle was clearly worth a lot more.

She told Wolverhampton Crown Court he accepted it had been a "disgraceful" piece of driving after he panicked because he had no insurance or a driving licence.

It was fortunate, she went on, that nothing more serious happened and no one had been badly injured as a result of his bad driving.

McGuire of Lye Avenue, Woodgate, admitted dangerous driving, he was given a 14 month jail term suspended for two years by Recorder Edward Kelly.

He further ordered McGuire to carry out 200 hours unpaid work in the community, disqualified him from driving for 18 months and ordered him to pay £340 costs.