A 'stolen to order' BMW raced through built up Wallasey at speeds of 60 mph before driving through the wrong side of Wallasey Tunnel, writing off three cars and putting one luckless motorist in hospital with whiplash.

The full story of this hellish drive has just unfolded at Liverpool Crown Court. Leigh Clifton, of Toxteth, was jailed 18 months by Judge David Lynch, who told the 27 year old, "You were party to stealing to order a BMW worth £10,000. Someone took you there, told you where the keys were and told you to steal it.

"You drove through a built up area of Wallasey at 60 mph. When you got to Wallasey Tunnel, one tube was closed for maintenance, so you drove through the bollards.

"You noticed you were being followed by tunnel police and began overtaking cars and going on the wrong side of the road. You realised you were not going to make Liverpool and at 40 to 50 mph, you did a handbrake turn and wrote off two other cars.

"The potential for disaster was huge. One man had to got to hospital. The idea of performing manoeuvres like that in Wallasey Tunnel is beyond belief."

Clifton pleaded guilty to stealing a £10,000 BMW, driving dangerously, without insurance and or licence and was also banned for driving for three years.

Mr Colin Davies, prosecuting, said the BMW was stolen from a showroom in Wallasey, at lunchtime, Monday, May 10. It was seen driving through Liscard at 60 mph.

Defending, Mr Nicholas Ryan, said Clifton was previously of good character. Clifton owed £500 to a man in Liverpool. The man told him if he took the car and drove it back to Liverpool the outstanding part of the debt would be wiped out.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.