A York thief was jailed for a year after forcing police to embark on a stolen caravan chase.

Jonathan James Teare, 19, sped away from police while towing the stolen mobile home.

He crashed into a car as he jumped a red light and twice hit police vehicles before coming to a halt on the driving range of Harrogate Golf Club, York magistrates heard.

Teare was on bail for stealing a £140 lawnmower in Acomb the previous month and using a car to carry it without insurance.

Magistrates sent him to a young offenders institution for a year, banned him from driving for 18 months and ordered him to take an extended driving test.

Teare, of Thoresby Road, Acomb, pleaded guilty to theft of the lawnmower and caravan, dangerous driving, two offences of driving without insurance and one each of driving without a licence, going through a red light, not having a car tax disc, failure to stop and failure to report an accident and having a defective handbrake.

Graham Sylvester, prosecuting, said Teare and an accomplice backed up to the caravan where it was parked in Harrogate, connected it to their vehicle and drove off.

Teare then drove the two-vehicle group through a red light and collided with another car in sight of a police car.

As the police pursued him, Teare sped off, crashing into a garden wall, driving on pavements and grass verges and colliding twice with police vehicles.

The chase ended on the driving range of Harrogate Golf Club.

For Teare, Craig Robertson said he was not a sophisticated criminal who stole because he was short of money.

It was a year since he had had a job.

His accomplice in the caravan theft was a disqualified driver, so Teare took the wheel.

Teare needed assistance and had spent more than a month in custody awaiting sentence.