A troubled teenager who drove at 100 miles per hour on the M32 motorway in Bristol as he tried to shake off police has walked out of court with a community order.

Mikel Vaja had run away from home when he was spotted by police dangerously driving a Hyundai car travelling on the M32.

Vaja, 18, of no fixed abode, was said to have accelerated to 100mph and under and over-took vehicles before veering on to the M4.

There he crashed against barriers on the hard shoulder, coming to a stop just yards from a stationary RAC vehicle. He was arrested and later admitted charges of dangerous driving and driving without a licence or insurance.

He was handed a 12-month community order with a 200-hour unpaid work requirement and was disqualified from driving for 12 months and told he would have to pass an extended driving test before he could drive again.

William Hunter, prosecuting at Bristol Crown Court, said Vaja was spotted by police driving the Hyundai at 1pm on Saturday, August 23, when he was travelling at 90mph in lane two of the M32.

He said officers turned on their blue lights and sirens and indicated to the teenager to pull over on the hard shoulder.

Mr Hunter said: "The driver suddenly swerved over to the hard shoulder then accelerated away back into lane one. He was swerving from side to side dangerously and accelerated to 100mph. At the entrance to the slip road on to the M4 he swerved from side to side and on to the M4 west-bound out into lane one."

He said the police car dropped back and the car sped on to the hard shoulder to escape heavy traffic.

"Ahead police could see an RAC vehicle and the car locked up all four wheels and struck the hard barrier at speed, just metres away from the vehicle. The defendant was arrested. He had no insurance or a driving licence," said Mr Hunter.

He explained after the hearing that the defendant had run away from home at the time.

Richard Shepherd, defending, said his client was no longer living with his family, had a part-time job and was at college, but did not give details of his problems.

Judge Carol Hagen said the defendant's driving would normally result in custody, but after reading about the circumstances was able to give him a community order.