A DRUG driver who was caught behind the wheel with no licence told a court he had been 'trapped in a loop' with drugs.

Adam Poynter was stopped by police having previously failed to stop for an officer while driving his car on Walney, South Cumbria Magistrates' Court heard.

Officers at the scene found he had several drugs in his system and had also been driving without an appropriate licence.

The 39-year-old admitted two charges of drug driving and one of driving otherwise in accordance with a licence when he appeared before the court

Prosecutor Nicola Mills told the court Poynter was stopped driving on Walney's Carr Lane on January 3.

She said: "PC Bellamy was on mobile patrol with PC Matthews at around 7am when he was made aware there was a vehicle that had previously failed to stop for a police officer.

"PC Bellamy got out of the vehicle and attempted to speak to the driver of the Peugeot 2008 who identified himself as Adam Poynter and confirmed he was the registered keeper of the vehicle."

The court was told the officer asked the defendant to complete a roadside drug test because his speech was slurred.

The test came back positive for cannabis.

Poynter had blood taken at the police station to be sent for further testing, confirming he had levels of cocaine and the cocaine breakdown product BZE in his blood over the legal threshold, the court heard.

The prosecutor said the tests suggested he had taken drugs close to the incident and less recently.

He also had smaller traces of THC and diazepam, the court was told.

Explaining the offence, the defendant told magistrates: "I ended up getting trapped in a loop taking drugs.

"I'm doing a rehabilitation programme and I'm getting my life back on track and it will never happen again."

The court heard Poynter, of Beach Crescent on Walney, had been caught driving with no licence within the past year.

Magistrates sentenced the defendant to a community order requiring him to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work over the next 12 months.

He was also handed a further 20-month ban from holding a driving licence and told to pay a £114 victim surcharge and £85 in costs.