A SKIPTON driver stopped by police because of a noisy exhaust was more than six times over the drugs drive limit, heard magistrates.

Liam Clarke, 29, provided a positive roadside drugs test for cocaine when stopped on Skipton High Street at about 10pm on November 16.

Clarke, of Coach Street, was arrested and taken to the police station after being stopped in Skipton where a blood test showed he had 325 microgrammes of benzoylecgonine in 100 millilitres of blood.

The legal limit is 50, Skipton Magistrates Court was told on Tuesday this week.

He admitted drugs driving at Harrogate Magistrates Court on February 7 when he was given an interim driving ban.

He had previously been banned for driving for 14 months in March, 2012, for driving while over the alcohol limit, the court was told.

Magistrates at Skipton banned him from driving for another three years and ordered him to carry out 100 hours unpaid work and complete up to 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days to address his drug taking and driving while over the limit.

The court heard in mitigation that Clarke, had suffered the break down of a long term relationship and was now living on a narrow boat.

He worked for a car firm in Bradford and was supported by his parents, but following the loss of his licence was likely to lose his job.

He had taken cocaine to ‘self medicate’ but was now taking independent steps to address his problem.

He will also have to pay a surcharge of £85 and costs of £85 to be added to an unpaid fine of £811 imposed in November last year for driving without insurance.

Magistrates ordered him to pay £20 per week.