A County Durham man who lured police on a high-speed car chase in which he smashed through traffic cones and drove at up to 100 mph has won a cut in sentence at London's Appeal Court.

Gary Jones, 24, of Matthews Road, Seaham, broke into a car soon after being released from custody in October last year, speeding towards the A19, despite police attempts to flag him down.

Jones was clocked driving at speeds of up to 100mph during the pursuit, negotiating a contra-flow system at 70mph and striking traffic cones which were catapulted across the carriage-way.

His 100mph dash caused oncoming traffic to swerve to avoid collision, but Jones and his three passengers were later trapped by police after they leapt from the moving vehicle to avoid capture.

Jones received a total sentence of 42 months in a young offenders' institution for offences of aggravated vehicle-taking, driving while disqualified and a separate offence of burglary.

He pleaded guilty to all offences and was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court in January this year.

The burglary offence involved an attempt to break in to a Darlington house on October 14, 2000, which was foiled by a resourceful teenager watching television in the small hours.

Jones - who claimed to be acting under pressure from an accomplice - was spotted trying to enter through a window, but was then chased off by the 14-year-old boy.

The court heard that the boy, who resumed watching TV after the intrusion, seemed unperturbed by his experience.

Mr Justice Roderick Evans - sitting with Mr Justice Astill - reduced Jones's sentence by three months on grounds that he should not have been given consecutive sentences for the two motoring offences, which were part of the same incident