A DELIVERY driver whose poor driving was reported to police had travelled from Leeds to Cumbria while over the limit for two illicit drugs.

Choudhary Haider Ali, 29, was driving a Mercedes Sprinter in Aspatria on the evening of September 6 last year, Workington Magistrates’ Court heard.

Pamela Fee, prosecuting, said, police had received reports from members of the public that the vehicle was being driven 'all over the road’.

Officers located the vehicle on the back road between Aspatria and Fletchertown. The vehicle was seen on the wrong side of the road and at times was being driven with ‘too much speed’.

Ali was stopped outside the Esso garage in Aspatria. He was breathalysed and this gave a negative result but a sample of saliva gave a positive indication on a drugs wipe.

The defendant was arrested and taken to the police station. A blood sample revealed he had 2.3mcg of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol per litre of blood. The specified limit is 2mcg.

He also had 136mcg of Benzoylecgonine – the body breakdown product for cocaine – per litre of blood. The specified limit is 50mcg.

Cocaine was also found in his blood but it was below the limit.

Ms Fee said the offences were aggravated by the presence of more than one drug in the defendant’s system and the poor standard of driving.

Ali, of Moor View Drive, Bradford, pleaded guilty to two charges of driving a motor vehicle with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the specified limit.

A probation officer said Ali had just completed a delivery in Aspatria when he saw the police van pull up.

He regretted his manner of driving and said he was being more cautious because he was not from the area.

Ali had taken cannabis two days prior to the offences and ‘wasn’t feeling the effects of it’. He had driven from Leeds to Cumbria that day.

He said he had no recollection of taking cocaine and it must have been taken two weeks earlier. He said he felt fit to drive and hadn’t realised cocaine and cannabis can stay in your system for a set period of time.

The court was told that Ali is the main provider for his family, working as a driver for a courier company.

John Cooper, defending, said: “Mr Ali has looked for another job but has struggled because he left school without any qualifications.

“He is looking after his wife and child and is also responsible for his mum and dad.

“He has no previous convictions whatsoever. He has pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.”

Magistrates banned Ali from driving for 30 months. He was given a 12-month community order with 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 160 hours of unpaid work.

He was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £114 victim surcharge.