A scaffolder has been banned from driving for a year after drunkenly speeding off from police.
Louie Cheetham, 21, had 'five or six' drinks into the early hours of May 30, before driving to the shop to buy some cigarettes, Bolton Crown Court heard.
Officers started following the Ford Transit Connect van after it 'accelerated aggressively' near Manchester Road, in Bolton, prosecution barrister Mark Stephenson said.
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Cheetham, of Boscow Road, Little Lever, sped off towards Farnworth and at one point reached speeds of 80mph in a 30mph zone.
Due to the time of the incident, around 1.10am, there weren't many pedestrians but Mr Stephenson said Cheetham overtook a number of cars and forced one to 'take evasive action'.
Police lost Cheetham after he mounted a pavement drove onto 'a grass area', Mr Stephenson told the court.
A helicopter eventually tracked the car down to Cheetham's home address and arrested him.
He made 'full and frank admissions' to police in interview and provided a breathalyser reading of 60mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath - the legal limit is 35mg.
Cheetham pleaded guilty to drink driving, dangerous driving, driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence, driving without insurance, and failing to stop.
Defending, Paul Treble told the court that Cheetham has no previous convictions and has a good job - as a scaffolder for media companies.
He said: "This is a very bad piece of driving and the defendant accepts that but the officer fairly says that conditions were dry, there was minimal traffic and there were no pedestrians.
"Fortunately there wasn't as much risk as there perhaps could have been, driving 80mph in a 30mph speed limit."
Judge Graeme Smith sentenced Cheetham to nine months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.
He said: "The driving was wholly unacceptable, both as to speed and some of the manoeuvres you undertook - not least driving across a pavement to escape from police.
"If that wasn't bad enough, you were significantly in excess of the alcohol limit for driving which increased your risk to other road users.
"Having said that, you are only 21, you have no previous convictions, you are in good employment and this is something that is very out of character."
Cheetham was banned from driving for 12 months and ordered to complete 160 hours of unpaid work, along with 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
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