A DRIVER who caused a head-on collision injuring a young family has been banned from driving for 12 months.

Tom Chilcott, of Hangersley Hill in New Forest, overtook a vehicle just before a bend in Burley Street, just after 9am, on August 14.

The 28-year-old was unable to get back onto the correct side of the road in time and collided with a Skoda Octavia.

All five members of the family inside the Skoda, including three girls aged two, eight and 10, suffered bruising. Chilcott also sustained minor injuries.

Chilcott appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court, on Tuesday, and admitted to a count of dangerous driving.

PC Alex Tack, from the roads policing unit, said: “This was a collision that could have easily been avoided.

“However, Chilcott made an extremely poor decision that saw a young family caught up in a terrifying collision.

“All too often we are confronted with the devastating consequences of dangerous driving and we will continue to take action against those who put the lives of others at risk, in the hope of making our roads safer for everyone.”

Chilcott was sentenced to 180 hours of unpaid work, disqualified from driving for 12 months with an extended re-test and ordered to pay £600 in costs.