A DRUG driver from Llangollen has been banned from the road for three years.

Joseph Smith was stopped by police on the B5605 at Pentre near Chirk because his Honda car’s brake lights were defective.

There was a strong smell of cannabis in the vehicle and a later blood test showed a reading of 2.6 for Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol; the legal limit being 2.

The defendant told police he had smoked a joint an hour before he was stopped.

Smith, 37, of Birch Hill, Llangollen admitted driving with a controlled drug above the specified limit on April 6 this year.

Emma Simoes, defending, said Smith stood to lose his job as getting there by public transport was an issue. There would also be an impact on his efforts to help his mother who suffers from health issues.

“He has taken steps to end his cannabis use,” she said.

As well as the road ban District Judge Gwyn Jones fined Smith £300 and told him to pay combined costs and surcharge of £115.

And he told him: “You are going to pay the price for that decision and the consequences that will follow will cause you more impact than the penalty.”