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This is the dramatic moment a thief continue to drive a stolen quadbike even after it burst into flames as he leads police on a 70mph chase.

Steven Johnstone, 41, broke into a garage on a farm in Teesdale, County Durham, shortly after midnight on October 11, last year.

Police dashcam shows him trying to outrun cops as he hurtles along busy roads on the Yamaha Kodiak 700.

Sparks are seen coming from under the bike moments before it erupts into a fireball, but incredibly Johnstone carries on driving.

He then crashes the burning bike into a bush on a residential road by the River Skerne near Darlington and flees on foot.

Officers tackled him to the ground, with one exasperated cop telling him: 'Absolutely astounded how stupid you've just been there. You are so lucky that did not blow you to smithereens.'

He was taken into custody and later charged with theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a class B drug and receiving stolen goods.