A 16-year-old boy has been sent to a young offenders institute for a year after running over a young boy in a stolen van.

The teenager was driving at speeds of up to 50 or 60mph and overtaking vehicles on Tuesday, October 30 while being chased by police before he lost control on the mini roundabout at the Tamar pub on Wigan Road in Leigh and hit three-year-old Leo Durrington.

CCTV footage shown at Wigan Youth Court captured the moment the van mounted the pavement and hit Leo, who was ripped out of his mum’s hands and flung 17m across the pub car park as they were walking together along with Leo’s nine-year-old sister.

The video then shows Leo’s mum running over to Leo before the van drove off towards Twist Lane.

The 16-year-old defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, did not watch as the footage was shown in court while his grandmother, who was alongside him, gasped and put her head down.

Leo, who turned four shortly after the incident, is still in hospital where his long term prognosis is not known but he has been making progress.

The court heard he cannot walk or eat at the moment and there may be "cognitive issues".

Both teenagers were arrested on the same night.

The 16-year-old told officers who come to arrest him: "I was going to hand myself in after watching Love Island."

Leo's mum cried as the teenager was given a 12-month detention and training order after admitting at an earlier hearing to causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

In a victim impact statement, she said: "The awful image of the van coming towards us, seeing our baby hit by the van and seeing his body hit the floor. I really thought my boy had gone. As a parent, how do you deal with seeing that?

"I'm completely heartbroken by it all. I can't forget the image of my little boy lying on that hospital bed."

Beth Pilling, prosecuting, said the Ford Transit Connect van was stolen on October 29 as the teenager picked up another boy, aged 15, and were seen in the vehicle driving on Leigh Road around 10.30am the following day.

Police pursued the vehicle before it lost control at the mini-roundabout on Wigan Road.

When handing the sentence to the driver, district judge Mark Hadfield said: "What then happened was the most tragic footage one could wish to see.

"The young boy, forced out of the hand of his mother and cast into the car park of the public house.

"Only a custodial sentence is appropriate."

The 16-year-old was banned from driving for five-and- a-half years too and ordered to pay a £30 victim services surcharge fee.

He also admitted failing to stop for police, failing to stop after a collision, driving without a licence, driving without insurance and a handling charge for the stolen van for the offences on October 30.

The teenager had only been arrested and bailed four days earlier for a number of offences including taking a van without consent, interfering with vehicles, criminal damage to a car and an assault on another youth which was filmed and shared on social media.

Kevin Liston, mitigating, said: "His remorse is visible in open court today, it is scant consolation and compensation to the victim's family, he would ask to apologise in court given the opportunity."

The passenger in the car was given a 12-month referral order and told to pay a £20 victim services surcharge fee after admitting to being carried in a stolen vehicle.

Following the sentencing, Police Sergeant Lee Westhead of GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “The devastation caused is all too apparent.

"Leo’s family has been left distraught by what happened that day and I am glad that we were able to identify these teenagers so quickly.

“They showed no regard for anyone other than themselves.

"They left Leo lying in the road without a seconds thought.

“Thankfully the prompt medical attention given to Leo at the scene and the incredible treatment from the dedicated doctors, nurses and staff at Manchester Children’s Hospital, Leo is now recovering in hospital with his devoted family by his bedside.

“On behalf of Leo’s family I’d like to thank the community for their support and well wishes since this incident and the thoughts of everyone at GMP are very much with them as he recovers in hospital.”

In line with national policy, the incident was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.