Young motorists turned a dual carriageway into an illegal late-night racing track where speeds up to at least 119mph were reached, a court heard.

Two of the motorists caught racing are beginning 18-month driving bans after magistrates described their case as the worst of its kind they had ever dealt with.

Darren Clay, 23, of Gloucester Road, Bingley - who works as a car mechanic and specialises in brakes - pleaded guilty to motor racing on a highway when he appeared before Bingley magistrates yesterday.

Nabeel Khan, 20, of Berrington Way, Oakworth, had pleaded guilty to the same charge at an earlier hearing.

Patrick Gallagher, prosecuting said officers in an unmarked police car, equipped with an on-board video camera, had filmed the pair as they raced in their Vauxhall Novas between Marley and Crossflatts on the A650 Aire Valley Trunk Road near Keighley last October 2.

He told the court: "The police had received complaints from people, mainly in the area round the Aire Valley Trunk Road, about cars - particularly at weekends late at night - gathering in the car park at Marley Stadium, going on to the road and then racing side by side down to the roundabout and then back up the other side before returning to the car park.''

Mr Gallagher, who described the incident as an example of ''ridiculous and reckless behaviour'' on a public road, said statements given to the police by members of the public even referred to "pacer'' cars sometimes being used to check the road was clear before races begun. He told magistrates that at 10.40pm on October 2 the officers had seen the two Novas come out of the car park and stop next to each other on the road before beginning their race.

''The police followed them down the road and back up the other side.

"They were racing very close to each other - sometimes side by side and sometimes one behind the other, almost bumper to bumper - and both were recorded going certainly in excess of 100mph while this was going on,'' he said.

Paul Fitzpatrick, mitigating for Khan, said at the time Khan did not appreciate the risk he had put himself and other road users at, adding: "It's been brought home to him how unbelievably stupid he was to engage in this sort of behaviour and says he's learnt a salutary lesson.''

Thomas Rushbrook, for Clay, said: "He deeply regrets what's happened and says if he could turn back the clock from that mad moment he would.''

After viewing the police video of the race magistrates disqualified Khan and Clay from driving for 18 months, fining them both £200 and ordering each to pay £60 costs.

Chairman Anne Hardy told them: "We're all agreed that we have never heard a more serious case of driving at excess speed.

"There were other people on that road and we cannot begin to imagine how they would have been feeling as they were passed at speeds of up to 119mph.

"This sort of behaviour can't be tolerated - it's very fortunate you didn't kill somebody and we hope you are well and truly aware of this and ashamed of what you've done.''