AN "extremely foolish" painter and decorator has lost his licence after he was caught drug-driving.

Peter Bowker, of Crossways in Penymynydd, appeared at Mold Magistrates Court on Thursday.

The 36-year-old admitted that on September 13 at Deeside, he drove a BWM motor vehicle on the Welsh Road at Deeside when the proportion of benzoylecgonine in his blood exceeded the specified limit.

He was found to have 263 microgrammes of the substance per litre of blood - the limit being 50.

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Police took notice of him after travelling at excess speed - around 90mph - on the A55 at Dobshill.

He was stopped on the Welsh Road at Garden City and told police he had smoked cannabis the previous evening, with a drugs swab confirming the presence of cannabis.

However when he was conveyed to Llay custody, it was benzoylecgonine (a breakdown product of cocaine) that he was over the limit for when his blood was analysed.

Melissa Griffiths, defending, told the court her client is a self-employed painter and decorator.

She added: "Inevitably, a disqualification will have a huge impact.

"He pleads guilty at the first possible opportunity and was fully cooperative with the police.

"He tells me he uses cocaine on a recreational basis, and had used it on the Sunday before being stopped on the Tuesday."

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The Leader:

She said while there was the presence of cannabis detected, it was not at a level which put him over the legal limit.

District Judge Gwyn Jones told the defendant his actions had been "extremely foolish," handing down a fine of £375, costs of £85 and a £150 victim surcharge.

He was banned from driving for 15 months.