A MECHANIC is set to lose his job after being banned for drug driving by Magistrates.

George Fletcher admitted two charges of drug driving when he appeared before Worcester magistrates last Thursday.

Adrian Jones, prosecuting, said Fletcher was spotted by police in an unmarked police car, parked up in Barbourne Terrace in Worcester on December 2. Mr Jones said officers spoke to him in the vehicle, and during the conversation officers suspected Fletcher was under the influence of something. After asking him to take a roadside drug test that proved positive, he was taken to Worcester Police Station.

Tests showed he had 72ug/l of the metabolised form of cocaine in his system, the legal limit being 50ug/l, and 3.1ug/l of the metabolised form of cannabis - the legal limit of 2ug/l.

Mark Sheward, defending, said: “My client is 23-year-old.

“He accepts the night before he smoked one cannabis cigarette, and three days before he took some coke.”

He highlighted to magistrates that the readings had been low, pointing out the courts often deal with drug drivers with readings in the hundreds.

“He would not have had any poor impairment to his driving ability,” Mr Jones said.

“But the law is the law. He accepts responsibility. He is a mechanic - he will lose his job as part of the job is to test drive the vehicles. He will rely on the benefit system if he cannot find another job.”

Magistrates gave Fletcher, of Shrubbery Road, Drakes Broughton, a 12 month driving ban for both offences, but the ban will last for just one year as the periods are to run concurrently.

Fletcher was also fined £120, and told to pay costs of £135 and a victim surcharge of £30 - a total of £285. Fletcher offered to pay this off at a rate of £50 a month, an offer accepted by magistrates.

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