THE DRIVER and three passengers in a car which was involved in a 70 mph crash on a motorway slip road all walked away uninjured.

Blackburn magistrates heard Hammid Zafir was not entitled to be driving the Nissan Qashqai which had been hired out to one of his friends.

Zafir, 22, of Coniston Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to unauthorised taking of the car on July 6, 2019, driving without due care and attention, without insurance and other than in accordance with a licence.

He was made subject to a community order for 12 months with 60 hours unpaid work and a 36 hour attendance centre order.

He was banned from driving for 12 months and ordered to pay £85 costs and £90 victim surcharge.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said Zafri had crashed the car on the M61 slip road at Rivington Services.

She said the car had been hired by someone else and Zafri simply decided to take it for a drive.

She said despite the high speed collision none of the passengers or the driver suffered serious injuries and damage was confined to the car.

Richard Prew, defending, said his client had no previous convictions and was at a loss to explain why he had taken the car.