AN EGREMONT man has admitted a string of motoring offences after he was chased around town by police.

Calvin Tweedy, 19, of Howbank Road, pleaded guilty to driving a Ford Mondeo without insurance, driving dangerously, driving whilst disqualified and failing to provide a specimen of blood. He admitted the offences when he appeared at the magistrates court in Workington on Friday.

Pam Fee, prosecuting, said the incident happened on February 14 at around midnight, when a police officer spotted the Ford Mondeo on South Street, Egremont, and attempted to stop it. But the driver failed to follow the officer's instruction and a chase around the town started, which involved three different police vehicles.

Miss Fee said Tweedy drove at 60mph round the Orgill estate, where the speed limit is 30mph. She said: "The pursuit had to be abandoned but a couple of minutes later the vehicle was located in a field, abandoned, and two females were seen running away from the vehicle. Then police found the defendant laying in the field, hiding by a bush." She added a drug swab identified cocaine in his system, but once at the police station Tweedy refused to provide a blood sample.

She said: "During the police interview he told a pack of lies. He said the car belonged to a friend who picked him up at around 9pm, he wouldn't provide any other information. He said he never sat on the driver's seat. He admitted he failed to provide a specimen for analysis but he couldn't provide a reason, he said he disliked one of the officers."

Miss Fee said she felt the offences were too serious to be dealt with by magistrates and sentencing would have to be dealt with by Carlisle Crown Court.

Mike Pope, defending, said Tweedy had previous convictions for low level offending as a juvenile and as an adult but this was the first instance of more serious offending.

He said: "He's a full time carer for his nan and he's been doing that for around 12 months, his mum is in court today to confirm that." Mr Pope added Tweedy had not received legal advice when he was arrested, but once he received that ahead of the hearing he entered guilty pleas. He added there was no suggestion the defendant had been stopped for bad driving. "The police knew him and they stopped him for a spot check," he added.

Tweedy will be sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court on March 18 and was placed on conditional bail until then.