A DELIVERY driver had a 'cocktail' of drugs in his system when he was stopped by police carrying out a random check in Eastburn, heard Skipton magistrates.

Colin Laird, 49, had taken morphine and cocaine the day before he was stopped just before Christmas, on December 20 on Skipton Road, the court heard.

Prosecuting, Martin Butterworth, said when stopped at 10am, Laird, who was driving a Mercedes Sprinter van, admitted to officers he had recently taken cocaine.

A road side test was positive and he was take to the police station for a blood test which later revealed he had 153 microgrammes of cocaine by-product benzoylecgonine in one litre of blood, the specified limit is 50, and 85 microgrammes of morphine, the specified limit is 80.

Laird, of Timber Street, Brierfield, Nelson, who admitted two counts of driving with over the specified limit of a controlled drug in his system, deeply regretted what had happened, and had taken steps to rid himself of drugs, the court heard.

In mitigation, Keith Blackwell said Laird had been very candid with police and would lose his job as a delivery driver.

Magistrates told Laird he had a 'cocktail' of drugs in his system when he had been stopped and banned him from driving for 18 months. He was also fined £215 and ordered to pay costs of £85 and a surcharge of £30.