A Sandycroft man went "off the rails" and was caught drug driving after splitting up with his girlfriend, a court heard.

Billy Hart, of Crofters Park, appeared at Mold Magistrates Court on Thursday.

The 20-year-old admitted that on September 29, he drove a Volkswagen Golf in Shotton when the proportion of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (cannabis) in his blood exceeded the prescribed limit.

He was found to have 2.7 microgrammes of the substance in a litre of blood - the limit being 2.

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Prosecutor Rhian Jackson told the court that at around 3.15pm on the day of the offence, police decided to undertake a stop check on the vehicle in Clarence Street.

Officers noticed a smell of cannabis from within the vehicle and told the driver, Hart, to do a drugs test.

After a positive reading for cannabis, he was arrested and taken to Llay custody suite, where he gave his reading in blood.

The court heard prior to the drug-drive, he was a man of previous good character.

Melissa Griffiths, defending, told the court that in the lead up to the offence, Hart had split up with his girlfriend and "gone off the rails a bit."

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She added: "He started smoking cannabis with friends. He hadn't smoked on the day, and didn't realise it stayed in his system.

"He's a young man with a good work ethic and he's back with his former girlfriend - they don't use drugs or drink.

"This has been a huge wake-up call for him."

District Judge Gwyn Jones told the defendant: "You foolishly decided to take cannabis and may not have appreciated that it stays in your system significantly longer than people think."

Hart was fined £300 and ordered to pay £85 costs, as well as a £120 victim surcharge.

A 12-month driving ban was also imposed.