A STEEL erector has been banned from the roads after taking amphetamines and cannabis before getting behind the wheel.

Alfred Smith admitted two counts of drug-driving when he appeared before magistrates in Hereford.

Smith had been spotted behind the wheel of a Ford Focus in Leominster's Bridge Street at around midday on September 4.

He was pulled over by police as his car was flagged for not having an MOT, and admitted having used amphetamines and cannabis.

He was arrested and taken into custody, where a blood sample revealed he had 567 microgrammes of amphetamines and 2.8 microgrammes of cannabis metabolite delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol per litre of blood. The legal limits are 250 and two.

OTHER NEWS:

Chris Read, for Smith, said the 54-year-old had actually pulled into the Bridge Street car park by the time police came to speak to him.

"There is no charge for no MOT," Mr Read said.

"He was quite frank with police and I am afraid that he, like many others, had no idea it would stay his system."

The court heard Smith, who works as a steel erector, is currently living in a caravan in a very rural area and will have no means of getting to work as a result of a mandatory driving ban.

"He has been quite open with his employers, but despite the fact that they would like to keep him, unfortunately the situation is not tenable," Mr Read said.

Smith, who gave a care of address in Ludlow, was disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined £120. He must also pay costs of £135 and a £34 victim surcharge.