Police arrested a 16-year-old boy after he drove three friends for approximately 50 miles along the M6 motorway in a car he had purchased for £250 earlier the same day. The vehicle was found to be untaxed, uninsured, and without a valid MOT.
Officers from Cheshire Police initially pulled the red Kia over at Stafford services near Stone after the car failed to stop. Bodycam footage from the incident, set to air on Channel 5's 'Motorway Cops', shows officers detaining the driver. When questioned, the boy admitted he was sorry for his actions and confirmed his parents were unaware he was driving.
One of the passengers informed the officers that the driver was 16 years old, a revelation that visibly surprised them. The boy was subsequently charged with driving without a license and driving without insurance.
The incident occurs amid growing concerns about dangerous driving, particularly among young people, and in the wake of several recent tragedies. In one incident, two police officers died when their vehicle was struck by another car driving the wrong way on a dual carriageway. In a separate event, five teenagers died when a car traveling the wrong way on the M9 collided with another vehicle, leaving occupants of the second car with serious injuries. The government has called for social media platforms to remove videos depicting dangerous driving stunts.