A BANNED motorist who led police on a high speed chase while over the limit for drugs has been given a last chance by a judge.

Josh Chamberlain was spotted by police behind the wheel of a Peugeot 306 in Melksham on February 28.

The teenager only came to a halt after police hurled a stinger device in front of the vehicle on Spa Lane

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how the 18-year-old's car sped off towards Sandridge when police tried to stop it.

After going up Sandridge Hill it went along Westbrook and into Chittoe, where after going round a loop went back down Snowberry Lane on to Spa Road.

He showed video footage from one of the police cars where a fellow officer is seen throwing the stinger in front of the car.

When he was arrested he was found to have more than four times the legal limit for benzodiazepam and also to have been disqualified from driving.

Chamberlain, of Woodrow Road, Melksham, admitted dangerous driving, no insurance, drug driving and driving while disqualified.

The court heard he had a long history of driving offences including aggravated taking without consent as well as other offences of violence and dishonesty.

Mike Jeary, defending, said that his client was now devastated to learn how dangerous his driving had been and was very sorry.

He said Chamberlain had sped off because he knew he should not have been driving.

Although he was driving dangerously he said it was not the worst of its kind and most of the time he was only 10- 15mph over the limit.

Passing sentence Judge Tim Mousley QC said "These offences were committed at night time and perhaps for as much as ten minutes on the roads around the Melksham area where you were pursued by the police.

"You crossed over white lines repeatedly and you disobeyed the speed limits. This was appalling driving.

"You showed complete disregard for anyone else out on the roads that night and you only stopped when the police deployed a stinger. So this was a prolonged piece of driving at high speeds."

He imposed an eight month jail term suspended for 18 months with 20 days of rehabilitation activity requirement and 150 hours of unpaid work.

He also banned him from the road for two years and until he had passed an extended test, adding "Some might describe the sentence I impose today as being a last chance for you."