A RECKLESS and stupid' teenager filmed himself driving at 140mph on the M65 and using the hard shoulder to pass shocked motorists.

Nathan Campbell's mobile phone clips were uploaded onto the video website YouTube after he sped along the westbound carriageway in Brierfield on May 19.

The 18-year-old's actions prompted the head of motoring organisation, the RAC, to label the incident "probably the most appalling and most dangerous driving that I has ever been witnessed." Campbell, of Fenwick Street, Burnley, now faces up to two years in prison at crown court after pleading guilty to dangerous driving.

Burnley magistrates heard how an off-duty policeman, who was travelling near to Brierfield with his pregnant wife and young son, spotted Campbell as he sped past in his father's red Toyota MR2 just before 11am.

Campbell, who had had just eight driving lessons before passing his driving test, rested the phone on the steering wheel and filmed the speedometer to record the speeds he had reached.

The policeman tried to follow but couldn't keep up and the teenager was later arrested after officers were alerted to the YouTube footage by a viewer.

After the case, Edmund King, the RAC's executive director, added that he hoped that Campbell received a lengthy driving ban.

He said: "Not only was he putting his own life at risk but he was putting other people's lives at risk on the motorway and potentially breakdown personnel.

"If anyone was broken down on the hard shoulder there is no way he would have been able to stop in time travelling at those speeds.

"It was totally dangerous, totally reckless and totally stupid and people like that should be taken off the road."

Mr King added that he was pleased to see that comments from other drivers on the YouTube site had condemned Campbell's actions.

The court was told that PC Michael Holt was travelling from Colne to Blackburn with his pregnant wife and 21-month-old son, in his silver Citroen, when he witnessed the scenes.

Elizabeth Reed, prosecuting, said: "His attention was drawn to a red car which moved from the outside lane to the hard shoulder and passed several cars."

She said the officer then saw the car go back into the outside lane before shooting back across the motorway, passing another couple of vehicles using the hard shoulder and the slip road.

She said: "His wife said, I can't believe he is filming himself on his phone' and he said, I can't believe it either.' "He tried to follow but the car was travelling at about 120mph and pulled away.

"He continued to observe but it went out of sight."

PC Holt reported the incident and Campbell was later arrested after a caller complained to the police that he had seen the YouTube clip of the red MR2.

Ms Reed told the court that the defendant said it was his father's car and admitted to being the driver and his mobile phone was seized.

The footage was still on the phone.

When questioned, he was unable to give reasons for driving at such speed and said he had not known that a friend had put the footage on YouTube.

After the case, Sgt Martin Bishop, of the road traffic policing unit, in Colne, said he was very pleased with the conviction.

He said: "We are pleased with the speed that we have brought this case to justice.

"There has been an increasing trend over the last two or three years of bad driving, including speeding, drink driving and mobile phone use and we are doing a lot to target both through enforcement and education."

District judge Peter Ward issued Campbell with an immediate interim driving ban and committed him to Burnley Crown Court on July 20, for sentencing.