A NORTHWICH man has been banned from the roads after being caught behind the wheel while more than five times the drug-drive limit.

Leon Hobson, of Oak Meadow, Weaverham, was driving in a Ford Transit van along the A556 through Tabley when he was caught on July 12 last year.

A subsequent blood test revealed the 25-year-old had 286µg/L of Benzoylecgonine - a cocaine breakdown product - in his system. The legal limit is 50µg/L.

At the time of his stop, Hobson was also found with a quantity of cocaine.

He was arrested and charged with drug-driving and possession of a class A drug, both of which he pleaded guilty to at Chester Magistrates Court on January 10. 

Taking his plea into account, magistrates handed Hobson a 12-month community order requiring him to complete 160 hours of unpaid work.

The bench also disqualified him from driving for three and a half years. He was also ordered to pay £120 in court costs.

A forfeiture and destruction order was made in respect to the cocaine and no separate penalty was imposed for this offence.