A RETIRED police officer 'watched in disbelief' as a delivery driver dangerously crossed double white lines into a blind bend to overtake vehicles on the A59 at Beamsley Hill, heard Skipton magistrates.

Hashim Mohamed Manjra, 56, was driving a Mercedes Sprinter van towards Skipton at about 3pm on November 30 last year when he crossed into the oncoming overtaking lane towards a blind bend to pass a heavy goods vehicle and at least one other car, the court heard.

Manjra, said other cars had also been overtaking, but accepted he had crossed over the lines within the 50 mph limit and that his driving had been careless, but denied it had been dangerous.

But, in a statement read out in court, retired Skipton traffic officer, John Tiffany, said he had no doubt Manjra had driven dangerously and that it had been fortunate no one had been coming in the opposite direction.

"I watched in disbelief as the van driver continued in the centre lane towards the blind bend by Beamsley School," he said.

Mr Tiffany described the van driver's actions as a 'moment of madness' and how it might have been possible that he had been unaware of the car in front of the goods vehicle.

Mr Tiffany, also described the incident as 'extremely dangerous' and went on to say how he had felt strongly enough to follow Manjra for several miles passing Skipton and Broughton in an effort to record his registration details to pass onto police.

Prosecuting, Alison Whiteley, accused Manjra of knowing full well he had driven dangerously and far below the standards of a competent and capable driver and reminded him how he had told police he had told his wife how he had 'driven badly' that day.

But Mohammed Hussain, for Manjra, said whereas his client had never denied careless driving, it had not been dangerous and described it as a 'momentary lapse'.

Manjra, he said, had driven for 30 years, including seven for his current employer, a Blackburn based upholsterers, and apart from a couple of fixed penalties, had no driving convictions.

Magistrates told Manjra while crossing the double white lines alone would not equal dangerous driving, overtaking into a blind bend would and that the evidence of Mr Tiffany, as an experienced ex traffic officer was 'unequivocal'.

They found his driving had fallen far below the standards expected of a competent and capable driver and found him guilty of dangerous driving.

Manjra, of Wesley Street, Blackburn, was handed a 12 month community order with 100 hours unpaid work and banned from driving for 12 months, after which he will have to take an extended re-test if he wishes to drive again. He will also have to pay costs of £620 and surcharge of £85.

An appeal against conviction was lodged immediately after sentencing, suspending the driving ban until the outcome of the appeal, which will be held in the crown court.