Police stopped County Durham driver on M62 in West Yorkshire

Matthew Rushton was detained by police patrol drivers who deployed tactical manoeuvres to bring his Ford Transit van safely to a halt as it travelled against the flow of traffic on the M62, near Cleckheaton, and on the Chain Bar roundabout, at its junction with the M606.

Durham Crown Court heard that the 27-year-old defendant of Newholme Estate, Station Town, was arrested following the six-mile chase in which a police vehicle was forced to take evasive action to avoid a collision on the M62.

Reece Williams, prosecuting, said a police national computer check had "flagged" the defendant as a disqualified driver.

(Image: Durham Constabulary) Rushton, of was charged with dangerous driving and driving while disqualified, arising out of the incident in the early hours of Tuesday, August 6, this year.

He initially appeared before magistrates in Bradford, on August 23, but proceedings were transferred to County Durham and Rushton admitted both charges at a hearing at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court, on October 14.

The case was sent for sentence at Durham Crown Court, where Rushton appeared via video link from nearby Durham Prison, where he has been on remand.

(Image: Durham Constabulary) Judge Jo Kidd said at the time of the incident in August the defendant was the subject of a post-sentence supervision after a previous offence.

She told him: “It’s a great shame there was this deterioration in your behaviour.

“It seemed you had been making good progress in addressing risk factors over earlier offences of violence.

“But, in light of your antecedent history there seems to have been a pattern of offending regarding your driving.

“You chose, in the early hours of that morning, to embark on a dangerous manner of driving.

“You had the opportunity to pull into a car park when you realised you were being followed by police and put your hands up.

“But you embarked on a ten-minute chase against the flow of traffic.”

(Image: The Northern Echo) She said the pursuing officers felt the need to bring the van to a halt to prevent the risk of injury to other motorists had Rushton continued heading on the wrong carriageway on the M62.

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Imposing a 14-month prison sentence, Judge Kidd banned Rushton from driving for two years.

A further seven months was added to the disqualification period to equate roughly to the length of time he will spend behind bars prior to his release on licence.

He was told upon the expiry of the disqualification he must then sit and pass an extended driving test should he wish to lawfully take to the road again.