Ex Arriva employee Terry Potter jailed for taking bus

A man who took a single-decker bus and drove it around Bolton has been jailed for 10 weeks.

Terry Potter, 28, of Torrington Avenue, Halliwell, took the bus from the Arriva depot in Goodwin Street in April.

CCTV from the bus showed him get out of the driver's seat and adjust a wing mirror while the vehicle was moving.

He admitted aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving and driving with no insurance and was jailed at Bolton Magistrates' Court.

He was also disqualified from driving for 24 months.

The court heard Potter had been to a party and taken tranquilisers before taking the bus, at about 20:00 BST on 12 April.

Prosecutor Steve Woodman described it as a "miracle" that nobody was injured.

In Potter's defence, Peter Leather said he "100% disagreed with that".

He said Potter - a supervisor at Arriva - had knowledge of buses, and although he was not a bus driver he did know how to drive a bus.

He said he never exceeded speed limits and drove very slowly throughout the incident.

Mr Leather accused the Crown Prosecution Service of exaggerating the case and said his client did not intend to hurt anyone.

Magistrate Francis Hendrix said he had crossed the custody threshold and sentenced him to jail.