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A young driver who drove at 100mph through villages in “treacherous" road conditions while being followed by a police helicopter has avoided custody.

Oliver Barthorpe was behind the wheel of a VW Golf when police tried to pull him over on February 18, this year.

But he accelerated away and reached speeds between 65mph and 100mph in 30mph zones.

Leeds Crown Court was told that it was dark and was raining heavily at the time.

Barthorpe was chased by the force's helicopter.

Prosecutor Hollie Alcock said the chase went on for 40 minutes through South Kirkby and South Elmsall.

He drove on the wrong side of the road, went through a red light, approached a roundabout at 100mph and went round the wrong way.

The helicopter was scrambled to join the chase and was able to track the 21-year-old after he ditched his vehicle.

He was arrested after a brief chase on foot by a police dog unit.

Barthorpe, of Caddon Avenue, South Elmsall, has no previous convictions.

He admitted a charge of dangerous driving.

Mitigating, Robin Frieze said Barthorpe’s behaviour was “out of character”. The court heard he had suffered after witnessing a traumatic incident, although the details were not specified.

Mr Frieze added: "He has got an enormous amount of support and appears to have changed to the very decent, very sensible and kind young man that he was before.

“He obviously needs a great deal of help. He put himself in an appalling position.

"He is sensible enough to know that this could have been far worse and he could have killed himself.

"He is unlikely to be back before the courts again.”

Judge Christopher Batty gave him a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for two years.

He was also given 200 hours of unpaid work, a two-month electronic-tag curfew, and banned him from driving for two years.

He told him: "Goodness knows what you were thinking of.

"I accept that you were involved in a very significant traumatising event, the impact it has had is plain to see.

"You started mixing with idiots and consequently behaved like one.

"It was a prolonged chase at speed.

"I’m just persuaded not to send you into custody given that you have never been in trouble before.”

Driver reached 100mph through West Yorkshire villages pursued by police helicopter