A MOTORIST who was caught on CCTV towing a man along a North Yorkshire street in a wheelchair has been banned from driving.

Michael Ward, 20, of Walworth Avenue, Harrogate, pleaded guilty at Harrogate Magistrates Court to dangerous driving in Cheltenham Parade, Harrogate.

He was disqualified from driving for 20 months, ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, fined £85 CPS costs and £85 victim’s surcharge.

The court heard he was seen on CCTV talking to 28-year-old William MacPherson outside the Moko Lounge Bar in Kings Road. 

He then drove along Kings Road as MacPherson, sitting in a wheelchair, held on to the back of the car before they became detached, said North Yorkshire Police.

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Ward stopped and reversed back to MacPherson who took hold of the vehicle again. They then continued to travel and come to a stop on two other occasions up Cheltenham Parade and Cheltenham Crescent before turning left onto Oxford Street and coming to a stop outside McDonald’s.

MacPherson, of Link Way, Harrogate, pleaded guilty at the same hearing to holding onto a vehicle for the purpose of being drawn. He was fined £154 and ordered to pay £30 CPS costs and £30 victim’s surcharge.

TC Rob Roberts of Harrogate’s Road Policing team said: “Ward and Macpherson acted selfishly that night. They paid no regard to the safety of other road users or pedestrians and chose to act in a dangerous manner.

“I hope the sentence that has been handed to them teaches a lesson to both them, and others, that reckless behaviour will not be tolerated on our roads.”