A KENDAL driver stopped for speeding on the A65 at Clapham had been taking cocaine, heard Skipton magistrates.

Jonathan Hodgson, 38, of Mint Dale, was driving a black Audi A6 on March 9 when at 3.45pm he passed a traffic officer at 91mph, the court heard last Friday.

Hodgson was stopped and a roadside drugs test proved positive for both cocaine and cannabis.

He was taken to the police station for a blood test, which later showed he had 200 microgrammes of Benzoylecgonine (cocaine) in a litre of blood, the specified limit is 50.

Hodgson, a man of previous good character, who admitted both speeding and drugs driving, had been on his way from Giggleswick to Kendal, with an appointment with his drugs counsellor, the court heard.

In mitigation, Keith Blackwell said Hodgson, a builder, had come off drugs and had kicked his habit.

Hodgson was banned from driving for 14 months and fined £300. He will also have to pay costs of £85 and a surcharge of £30. There was no separate financial penalty for the speeding, although his licence was endorsed.