A teenage drug-driver has been fined and banned after he "narrowly avoided" colliding with a police car.

Lenny Grugel, of Appleby Drive in Hawarden, appeared at Mold Magistrates Court on Thursday morning.

The 18-year-old admitted that on December 9, he drove a Volkswagen Polo on Lower Aston Hall Lane in Queensferry whilst over the limit for cannabis and ketamine.

He was found to have 3.2 microgrammes of cannabis per litre of blood (the limit being 2) and 157 microgrammes of ketamine - the limit for that substance being 20.

Shane Maddocks, prosecuting, told the court that at around 11.50pm on December 8, police on patrol in Queensferry spotted a black VW Polo travelling at speed.

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It "narrowly avoided" the police vehicle, prompting officers to turn around and stop it.

The driver identified himself as Grugel, and the car smelled of cannabis.

A roadside test gave a positive reading for cannabis just after midnight and Grugel was taken to custody at Llay, where he gave the evidential readings resulting in his charges.

Alex MacKenzie, defending, told the court: "This is a young man, just 18 years of age.

"He's someone who is ultimately doing very well and at the time was in a difficult family situation.

"He accepts he was going about dealing with it in the wrong way although he is not a very regular drug user.

"This is a young man doing A-levels and he has secured a place in university next year; he's hoping to do geophysics."

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Ms MacKenzie said her client, who also works as a supermarket checkout operator, had already experienced a form of punishment in his time spent at the police station and the court.

Nicholas Colbourne, chair of the magistrates, praised the defendant for his honesty, adding: "It was a stupid mistake. There's no point me going on at you because you're probably already beating yourself up."

He handed down fines totalling £322 and ordered Grugel to pay £85 in costs and a £128 victim surcharge.

The defendant was banned from driving for 18 months.