TWO convicted burglars who escaped from a Warrington prison then went on a high-speed police chase across three counties are back behind bars.

Mark Wilkinson and Shane Appleton, both aged 20, were serving time for burglary at Thorn Cross Young Offenders' Institution when they escaped just after midnight on August 27 and went on a 60-mile police chase across Cheshire, Manchester and Leeds.

David Jones, prosecuting, said police pursued the men after seeing Appleton undercutting another car while joining the M62.

A rolling police block failed to stop them and the men, both from Leeds, finally came to a stop after crashing into a fence Nasra Butt, defending, said the men regretted their actions.

Appleton was sentenced to two and a half years for escaping lawful custody, burglary, taking a motor vehicle without consent, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and banned from driving for five years.