Joyrider jailed for taking footballer's Ferrari

(GETTY IMAGES)

A joyrider who took a Premier League footballer's £150,000 Ferrari as the player paid for fuel at a service station was jailed today.

Middlesbrough midfielder Gary O'Neil is understood to have left his keys in the ignition of his 200mph black Ferrari F430 Spider F1 after he filled it up at a garage on Ripon Road, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, yesterday morning.

North Yorkshire Police said the vehicle was then driven at speed along the A59 to York, which is around 15 miles away.

Officers said the car was spotted overtaking other vehicles on the 15 minute journey and was later abandoned on Tadcaster Road.

Phillip Andrew McNamara, 28, from Hull, was arrested shortly after and appeared at Harrogate Magistrates Court today.

McNamara admitted aggravated vehicle taking and was jailed for 10 weeks.

O'Neil, 25, signed for Middlesbrough from Portsmouth in 2007 in a £5m deal.

He has also captained the England Under-21 side.

Middlesbrough said O'Neil was not planning to comment on the incident.