POLICE stopped three cars they thought were racing through town centre streets - and uncovered a tale of machetes, knives, threats and illegal immigration.

A Vauxhall Corsa appeared to be outrunning two pursuing Renault Meganes in Middlesbrough in the early hours of the morning, Teesside Crown Court heard.

The cars jumped red lights and were driven at double the speed limit before the lead hatchback headed to the town's main police station at Middlehaven at about 1am.

Driver Christopher McMann, 20, claimed he was trying to get away from the other two vehicles after he had been threatened for no reason with a machete.

Shahban Jawad said he was chasing the Corsa because a relative contacted him in a panic saying he had just seen a man who threatened him weeks earlier.

The car in between the pair was being driven by 35-year-old Jawad's brother-in-law, Ahmed Qadir, 28, who was mistaken about the identity of his foe.

Mr McCann, of Blackhall Sands, Middleabrough, was cleared of dangerous driving on June 25 after a trial last month. The other two men admitted the charge.

Jawad, of Brompton Road, Middlesbrough, was yesterday given a community order with unpaid work and was banned from the roads for 18 months.

His relative, who lived in the same street, had later been identified as an illegal immigrant and has been served with deportation papers, the court was told.

Part-time pizza shop worker Jawad was also ordered to pay £500 costs after Judge Howard Crowson told him "mercifully" nobody was injured during the drama.

The judge added: "I do accept that you felt you had a reason to drive as you did, but you will appreciate it is not one the courts can condone."

Prosecutor Rachel Masters told the court that drunken revellers were in the town centre streets and other vehicles - including taxis - were on the roads.

Paul Abrahams, mitigating, said: "He has learned his lesson that you simply cannot take matters into your own hands, which is clearly what he did."

Judge Crowson asked for confirmation from the Border Agency that Qadir was being deported to Iraq before he officially ended the case against him.