A MAN who took his dad's Mercedes to go and get cigarettes after a night out drinking ended up crashing it into a gate post and a garden wall.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Mobeen Arshad ignored a following police car but after the second crash handed over the car keys before slumping over the steering wheel.

Arshad, 21, of Crosshill Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to unauthorised taking of a car, driving with excess alcohol, without insurance and other than in accordance with a licence, and failing to stop after an accident.

He was remanded on bail for the preparation of a pre-sentence report with a warning that custody would be an option for the sentencing magistrates.

Pat Bramley, prosecuting, said Arshad had been out with friends drinking in Preston and Bolton. After being dropped off at home he realised he had no cigarettes and took his dad's car to drive to a late night petrol station.

Police were alerted because of the erratic way the Mercedes was being driven and followed it along Preston New Road with blue lights flashing.

The car indicated right at a roundabout but then went straight ahead and at the junction at Crosshill Road hit a brick gate post.

Arshad then lost control of the car in Manor Road and the car came to a halt after demolishing a garden wall.

Jonathan Taylor, defending, said his client realised exactly how stupid he had been.

Ordering pre-sentence reports the chairman of the magistrates said Arshad had driven round like a "mad-man".

"If there had been somebody crossing the road you could have killed them and you would be facing something far more serious," he added.