A 20-YEAR-OLD motorist drove along the hard shoulder of the M65 at a speed, estimated by a CID officer whom he undertook, at between 90 and 100mph.

And a taxi driver, who had to slam on the brakes when Christopher Bentley swerved back on to the motorway in front of him, said it was the worst piece of driving he had seen in 46 years on the road.

Bentley, 20, of Manor Road, Darwen, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving. He was fined £200 with £65 costs and disqualified from driving for 12 months.

The magistrates rejected an argument that there were special reasons why he should not be disqualified. Eddie Harrison, prosecuting, said the police officer had been driving along the M65 at about noon.

He was in the first lane, doing between 70 and 75 mph, approaching a line of slower moving vehicles when he suddenly became aware of a yellow car travelling on the hard shoulder at a "very high speed".