PEDESTRIANS were forced to jump for their lives when a joyrider mounted pavements to try and evade police, Bournemouth Crown Court was told.

Mark Steele pleaded guilty to taking a vehicle without the owner's consent, interference with a vehicle, driving without insurance or a licence, and dangerous driving - which covered two incidents this autumn.

The 31-year-old from Langdon Road, Poole, also asked for 12 similar offences to be taken into consideration.

Prosecutor Tim Dracass explained how Steele had taken a Vauxhall Astra in September, which he then parked in a Bournemouth car park.

But when Steele broke into another similar vehicle in the car park and was caught by the owner, he attempted to persuade the elderly man that someone else had committed the crime and he was just checking for damage, Mr Dracass said.

He then took a Ford Fiesta for a joyride through busy lunchtime streets in Poole town centre in October.

With police giving chase, Steele forced cars to swerve and pedestrians to jump for their lives when he mounted pavements in his desperate bid to evade capture.

Sentencing Steele, recorder Brian Harvey said: "Society will not accept this sort of behaviour, that is dangerous driving at a time and place where members of the public were in danger."

It was also revealed that Steele has 44 previous convictions, covering 167 offences, with the most recent for dangerous driving.

Steele was sentenced to 18 months for dangerous driving and taking without consent, with three months for the second taking without consent, one month for interference with a vehicle and three months for having no insurance and driving while disqualified - all to run concurrently.

He was also disqualified from driving for a further three years.