These are the terrifying moments the son of a Sheikh led police on a high speed chase the wrong way through Kingston's one way system in his mum's Mercedes.

The 16-year-old tore through the town centre careering through red lights with a bevy of police cars in pursuit.

His driving was so erratic the first 999 call to police wrongly claimed the car's driver was under the influence of alcohol.

Kingston police released CCTV footage of the chase, after the teen was sentenced to a 12 month rehabilitation order and 60 hours community service for his escapade.

It is not the first time he has been in court in relation to a car. He was charged with taking one in 2011 when he was just 12-years-old but the case was subsequently dropped.

And he may be back on the road already. Outside of the courtroom afterwards the teenager realised his sentence had not included a driving ban.

He excitedly shouted to his father that he was “going to get straight on his moped” when he got home.

The car had been stolen from outside his dad's one bedroom flat in a multimillion pound home in Kensington, near to the Natural History Museum, on October 19 last year, although the boy claimed a friend had actually driven the car the 10 miles to a house in Kingston. 

At the time Kingston police sergeant Jim Dicks said: "He had done a complete circle of the town while being pursued.

"I don’t think the driver knew where he was going - he just went round the town centre in circles."

He said: "There were about four or five police cars involved so officers boxed him in.

"The windows got smashed and an officer dived into the car to put the handbrake up to stop him.

"I have not seen anything like this in Kingston for a long time."

On Twitter Trucy Bruins-Lich tweeted: "We were in the firing line of that drunk driver & witnessed some amazing bravery from your officers. Well done!"

The footage showed the black Mercedes speeding through the bus lane in Eden Street towards Clarence Street at about 3.30am, before taking a wrong turn into oncoming traffic in Wheatfield Way.

Cars were stopped at a red light when the Mercedes smashes into a traffic light.

A police officer ran at the car and tried to open the door but the boy was not done.

He slammed the car into reverse as police ran after him.

The chase only ended when the Mercedes crashed into a taxi, giving the driver minor whiplash.

He had pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated vehicle taking and dangerous driving at a hearing last month.

At earlier hearings prosecutors said the driver was alleged to have nearly run into pedestrians on three separate occasions during the chase, although this was disputed.

The youngster also denied driving into a police officer who tried to stop him.

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He was given a warning for aggravated vehicle taking in March 2011, and also has other non-driving related convictions, which were not disclosed in court.

He was also the subject of a youth rehabilitation order at the time of the crime.

His parents accompanied him at his sentencing in Hammersmith Magistrates' Court on Monday, where he spoke of his deep regret and his struggles with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

He sat on his mum's lap at one of the hearings, and kissed her hand at another hearing as the case was heard.

His elderly father was also at the hearing, which heard that the two, who have a considerable age gap, were now separated.

The teenager said: "I know that someone could have been seriously hurt and I would not have been able to live with myself knowing that I had done something that foolish and stupid."

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Magistrate Julie Baldwin said that she would enforce one of the harshest sentences she could in an aim to both punish and help rehabilitate him.

She said: "It is almost a miracle that nothing worse happened.

"There are a lot of people here rooting for you and a lot of agencies involved in this case.

"You have support from both of your parents and a successful road ahead of you is very achievable if you adhere to your order."

The Surrey Comet asked magistrates to lift the anonymity of the boy, on the basis he was a repeat offender who had endangered lives and that the public had a right to know his name.

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But they ruled that he was a vulnerable youth and revealing his identity was not in the public interest.

The 16-year-old will also be electronically tagged and have to adhere to a curfew from the hours of 9pm to 7am for the next three months.