A TEENAGER from Emersons Green rode a motorbike at speeds of up to 150mph on the M5 and M4.
Police say Harvey Thomas repeatedly rode past speed cameras on a bike which had its number plate removed to avoid detection.
He then reached “extremely dangerous speeds” during a police pursuit after he was spotted by an officer in an unmarked car.
Thomas, aged 19, was given a 10-month suspended prison sentence, banned from driving for 18 months and ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work at Bristol Crown Court.
He was convicted of one charge of dangerous driving, six counts of exceeding a 40mph limit and two of exceeding a 50mph speed limit.
The court heard Thomas committed offences over a three-month period earlier this year, mainly in Filton and Patchway.
A police investigation identified Thomas and the bike he was using, linking him to the offences.
On April 28, roads policing officer PC Mark Lambert, who was in an unmarked car, spotted a bike being ridden without plates near junction 17 of the M5.
Thomas made off at speed on the northbound carriageway, and officers pursued him.
Police said the bike reached speeds of up to 150mph during the pursuit, which went onto the M4, M48 and across the Severn Bridge, before heading back in the opposite direction.
Officers used a rolling roadblock to slow down other traffic so they could safely stop and detain him on the M4 eastbound, just before the Almondsbury interchange.
As well as the suspended sentence, ban and community order, Thomas was ordered to pay £150 costs, a £187 victim surcharge, undergo rehabilitation activities and take an extended test following the end of his driving ban when he appeared for sentencing in September.
Afterwards, Inspector Matt Boiles said: “Harvey Thomas put the lives of others, as well as his own life, at risk by the dangerous and reckless driving he engaged in.There was clear evidence he regularly rode at speeds of up to 123mph past fixed camera sites and he clearly thought himself to be above the law.
“Our investigation was complex, due to the bike being ridden without a vehicle registration mark and the fact Thomas was dressed in dark, unidentifiable clothing.
“Officers and staff from our Roads Policing Unit, intelligence team and our stolen vehicle examiner worked together to carry out enquiries and they were able to identify both the rider and the bike, which has ultimately led to this conviction.
“During the pursuit, Thomas rode at extremely dangerous speeds and it was only due to the skills and tactics of the responding officers that this incident was brought to a safe conclusion.”