A CARLISLE motorist has been banned after police caught him drug driving twice in a six-week period.

Ashley Read, of Mayfield Avenue, pleaded guilty to two charges of drug driving near his home.

Carlisle Magistrates’ Court heard the 26-year-old was behind the wheel of a blue Volkswagen Passat when he was stopped by police on Mayfield Avenue at quarter to seven on October 9.

A positive drug test found he was over the limit for cocaine; a reading of 31 micrograms of analyte per litre of blood was recorded. The legal limit is 10.

On November 22, Read was stopped again by police, over an issue with insurance, driving a red Isuzu Trooper.

A positive drug test found he was over the limit for cocaine; a reading of 167 micrograms of analyte per litre of blood was recorded.

Read appeared in court via video link from HMP Durham, where he is serving a 22-week sentence for a knife-related crime.

The court heard that there was no issue with the standard of the defendant’s driving in either incident.

Chris Toms, defending, said: “On both occasions, he was completely cooperative with the police; and in both cases [a cocaine breakdown product] was present and that shows the cocaine use was of some age. So it had had time to metabolise. He did take it at the weekend for recreational purposes."

Sentencing was adjourned until Read’s release from prison on March 27.

He was handed an interim disqualification from driving by magistrates – the conditions of which will be debated in two weeks.