A thief was almost “blown to smithereens” after leading cops on a 70mph chase on a stolen quadbike while it was engulfed in FLAMES.

Steven Johnstone, 41, of Bradford, 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.