A RECKLESS father led police on a high speed chase through the streets of Bolton with his three-year-old son in the back of the car, a court heard.

Dean Goodwin, 30, jumped a red light and reached speeds of up to 60mph along several residential streets as he tried to evade a pursuing police car during the incident on the morning of April 15.

Goodwin, of McDonald Avenue, Farnworth, was appearing at Bolton Crown Court for sentencing, after he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving without a valid licence and driving while uninsured on November 6 at Manchester Magistrates Court.

Justin Hayhoe, prosecuting, said officers were driving along St Helens Road at around 11.20am on April 15 when they spotted a car crossing the road in front of them at speed and accelerate away.

They began to follow the vehicle along Halton Lane where it reached a speed of 45mph in a 20mph zone with the driver refusing to stop despite the officers activating their emergency lights.

Video footage taken from inside the police car and viewed by the court showed Goodwin then driving onto St Helens Road at a speed of around 50mph where he could be seen weaving in and out of traffic, undertaking a number of other cars and driving through a red light.

At this point the car hit speeds of around 60mph before turning onto Lever Edge Lane where Goodwin continued to drive at high speed despite there being a number of speed bumps and parked cars.

After a chase lasting approximately two minutes, Goodwin eventually came to a stop on Holmeswood Road where officers found his three-year-old son on the back seat of the car.

A roadside test for cannabis was carried out and although Goodwin was found to be positive he was under the legal limit.

Mr Hayhoe added that Goodwin had nine previous convictions for 19 offences including burglary and aggravated vehicle taking. In 2013, he was jailed after he admitted supplying heroin two different times to undercover police officers and supplying crack cocaine to undercover police. He was arrested as part of an operation, codenamed Maxima, which resulted in more than 20 people being arrested on suspicion of drug dealing and for being involved in drugs

Nicola Carroll, defending, said jobless Goodwin had suffered from anxiety and depression since the break up of the relationship with his son's mother for which he took medication.

She said he had "no physical elements" and had not been in trouble with the police since 2013 during which time he had helped bring up his son and offer "practical and holistic support if not financial.

Honorary Recorder of Bolton, Judge Martin Walsh, said: "It's clear from the video these areas were heavily residential and you drove at speed over speed calming measures.

"Fortunately no one was injured or killed but this driving created a grave risk of death to other road users."

Warning Goodwin his offences easily passed the custody threshold, Judge Walsh handed him a 12 month sentence suspended for two years.

He will also have to complete 25 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement(RAR) and attend a 'thinking skills' program.

Goodwin was also disqualified from driving for three years and ordered to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work.