A teenager who was seen speeding around a supermarket car park in Penrith had been using cocaine, a court heard.

The 17-year-old was later found to have more than three times the legal limit of the class B drug in his system at the time.

At Carlisle's Rickergate Magistrates' Court, the youth, who can not be named for legal reasons, admitted an offence of drug driving on Ullswater Road, Penrith, on May 24.

John Moran, prosecuting, said police intervened because of concern at the manner of the teenager's "high speed" driving in the Morrisons car park.

When he provided a blood sample, this proved positive for cocaine.

It revealed that the teenager had between three and four times the legal limit of the drug in his system, though he had no previous convictions.

Seth Kitson, the barrister representing the youth, said the teenager deeply regretted his actions that day and appreciated that he would now be banned from driving.

An agricultural worker in north Cumbria, the youth also understood that he had caused problems at his place of work by acquiring the ban.

Mr Kitson said: "Since this occasion, his family have been drug testing him in the home twice a week, and he had been completely clean of drugs when they tested him.

"All the signs are that he is going to grow up to be a responsible citizen who contributes to the community he lives in."

District Judge Gerald Chalk told the youth: "When you are buying things off the street, you don't know what you are buying.

"You could be buying brick dust for all you know. You've been a fool to yourself; and you were daft enough to buy it.

"You were also daft enough to get into a car - and that really is daft. It takes full alertness to drive a car and you should not be driving a car if you have such things in you system."

The judge asked the teenager if he had been using drugs for long, and the defendant replied: "Not long."

The teenager's mother, sitting beside him in court, said she believed her son had learned his lesson, adding that he was fantastic at home and what happened had been a shock.

The judge added: "I know these things are around and you don't want to feel like a prat by not joining in - but be a prat, because there are consequences and you will feel those consequences now."

The judge made a four month referral order, which will allow the defendant to work with the Youth Offending Service to address any issues he may have. Judge Chalk also banned the teenager from driving for 14 months.

He added: "Hopefully, you are going to wake up and never do anything as daft as this in the future."