A DRIVER who was disqualified in 2002 for dangerous driving, which led to the death of a girl, has denied being the getaway driver in a department store ram-raid.

Colin Meek allegedly drove the powerful Saab at high speeds during a police pursuit after the smash-and-grab.

Teesside Crown Court heard the defendant was still disqualified as a result of a driving incident in 2002, which resulted in the death of a child.

The prosecution claims that, despite his disqualification, Meek drove at speeds of up to 100mph following a burglary at Woolworths, in Barnard Castle, County Durham.

Meek, 38, and co-accused Michael Collier, have already pleaded guilty to ramming the back of the car into the store's front window and stealing £2,000 worth of mobile phones.

But Meek says he did not drive away from the crime scene with Collier and an unidentified man.

The Saab was spotted by police on the A1M, near Scotch Corner, in North Yorkshire. It failed to stop, drove on the wrong side of the road, and drove at excessive speeds during the incident on May 18 last year, the prosecution said.

The chase was caught on tape by a police helicopter as the Saab drove on the A1M near Darlington, the A66, the A68, and through Redworth and Shildon, before coming to a halt in Coundon, County Durham.

Meek was discovered by police hiding under a van, while Collier was found hiding in the rhubarb patch of a garden.

The defendant, of no fixed address, denies a charge of dangerous driving and claimed he was not the getaway driver in the burglary.

Martin Towers, prosecuting, told the jury: "He accepts that he was disqualified from driving at the time and he accepts that was in respect of an offence in 2002, when he drove a car dangerously, resulting in the death of a young girl."

But fibres found in the car showed Meek had been sitting in both the driver and passenger seats.

Collier, 26, also of no fixed address, is awaiting sentence.

The trial continues.