A JOINER has been banned from the roads after failing a drug test when he was stopped for speeding.

Aiden Brown admitted the offence when he appeared before magistrates in Hereford on January 20.

Police had been on patrol in Kington on July 3 when they saw a car travelling at around 60 miles per hour in a 30 zone, prosecutor Ralph Robyns Landricombe said.

Brown was pulled over in Park Green, and was arrested after failing a roadside drug test, which returned a positive result for cocaine. He was also found to be in possession of a small amount of the drug, for which he received a caution.

An evidential blood test in custody revealed Brown had 134 microgrammes of cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine per litre of blood. The legal limit is 50.

FROM THE COURTS: 

Chris Read, for Brown, said the 22-year-old accepted that he had used cocaine.

"He had used it well over 24 hours before on the Wednesday evening knowing he had the next day off work," Mr Read said.

"On Friday, he thought enough time would have passed and he was on his way to the local shop when he was stopped.

"The inevitable effect of this is that it has caused him to lose his job. He is a self-employed joiner and needs his vehicle to transport himself and his tools to jobs."

Brown, of Park View, Kington, was disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined £120. He must also pay costs of £135 and a £34 victim surcharge.