A Hamerton man has been banned from driving for 18 months after being stopped by police while over the drug-drive limit.

Oliver Taylor, of Alconbury Road, was pulled over on February 9 after officers followed his Renult Clio T300T from the A1123, in St Ives, to the A14.

“That’s when they stopped the vehicle. His pupils were dilated and police suspected he may have taken some drugs,” Paul Brown, prosecuting, said.

Taylor appeared at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on May 9 and pleaded guilty to two counts of drug-driving.

The court heard that Taylor was found to have 63 micrograms in 100 millilitres of blood of cocaine in his system. The legal limit is 10 micrograms.

He also tested positive for 771 micrograms of benzoylecgonine - a metabolite of cocaine - in 100 millilitres of blood, the legal limit being 50.

The 19-year-old also admitted to two counts of possessing Class A drugs, heroin and crack cocaine.

“They then found the 10 wraps of crack cocaine and three of heroin,” Mr Brown added.

“He made a prepared statement to the police, and in his interview he said: ‘I admit to being in possession of these drugs in my pocket, I didn’t intend to sell these, they were for my own use’.”

Sharon Lewis, in mitigation, said Taylor had volunteered the drugs to police when they stopped him and handed them over straight away.

“[A driving ban] is going to have a potentially disastrous consequence for him, he currently lives at home with his parents and it is in a fairly rural location,” Mrs Lewis added.

She said that if Taylor was handed a driving ban he would potentially lose his job due to the lack of public transport.

“He has had a stark wake up call as a result of these offences,” said Mrs Lewis.

Taylor was handed an 18-month driving ban and was ordered to pay a £500 fine, £85 prosecution costs and £30 victim surcharge. An order was also made for the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs.