A drug-crazed motorist led police on a 100mph motorway chase – while trying to inject heroin into her arm, a court heard.

Student Rachel Curtis, 23, drove in a "suicidal" manner with a tourniquet around her arm as she fumbled to pierce herself with a syringe.

She led officers for 30 miles along the M4 between Bristol and Bath before police crashed into her at Leigh Delamere in Wiltshire.

Officers approached the stolen Ford Focus and found her with a needle hanging out of her arm.

Curtis admitted one charge of dangerous driving, one charge of possessing class A drugs and one charge of driving while uninsured at Bristol Crown Court.

She was handed a 12-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months on Thursday.

The drama began in the early hours of April 24 when officers spotted Curtis driving a stolen car across the Severn Bridge into England.

She initially slowed down to 35mph before speeding off at up to 100mph along the M4 eastbound towards London.

Sam Jones, prosecuting, told an earlier hearing: ''What followed was a high-speed dangerous pursuit for over 30 miles lasting 20 minutes.

''They could see the person driving had a tourniquet and a syringe and was trying to inject while driving.''

Curtis, of Bonymaen, Swansea, was arrested and told police she had not stolen the car but had bought it.

No charges were brought for the stolen vehicle but she admitted driving dangerously and trying to inject heroin as part of the offence.

Georgina Buckley, defending Curtis at a hearing at Bristol Crown Court on October 15, said her client was ''extremely remorseful".

Judge David Ticehurst said: ''You are only 23 and have a dreadful record. It's depressing because you have huge potential. The only person who can decide to give up drugs is you.''