A MOTORIST who knocked down and killed a Dunkirk war veteran as he crossed a road in his mobility scooter has been banned from driving for a year.

Disabled 89-year-old Thomas Griffiths died at Royal Bolton Hospital four days after being hit by Amir Motlagh's Volvo as he crossed Frederick Street, Farnworth.

Mr Griffiths, from Springfield Gardens, Kearsley, had been left with leg and head injuries in the crash.

Motlagh, aged 71, from Wimbledon, London, pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention when he appeared before Bolton magistrates yesterday (Monday).

The court heard how former soldier Mr Griffiths had been driving his three-wheel scooter along the pavement at Market Street, Farnworth, in September last year.

He was crossing Frederick Street when Motlagh turned right into the side road, cutting the corner and hitting him.

Howard Gough, prosecuting, said Motlagh had initially claimed Mr Griffiths had been driving his scooter up Frederick Street when they collided but later accepted he had been crossing the road and admitted he had not seen the pensioner.

He only changed his plea to guilty yesterday.

Motlagh, originally from Iran, listened to proceedings with the help of an interpreter, Andrew Otto, defending, said his client had driven for 38 years in Iran with an unblemished licence. He started driving in England in 1990 and since then he had only incurred three penalty points for speeding on the motorway.

He added that Motlagh had been "shattered" by Mr Griffiths' death.

"It was a momentary error of judgement and Mr Motlagh has been hugely affected by the consequences," he said.

Magistrates banned Motlagh from driving for a year and ordered that he should sit a driving test at the end of that period.

They also ordered him to pay £1,000 costs.

Mr Griffiths' son David said he accepted that his father's death had been an accident, adding that his father would have been satisfied with the Motlagh's sentence.

But he said that Motlagh should think again before trying to get behind a wheel.

"I think basically he is a bit too old to be on the road. I hope he doesn't go back on the road again," said Mr Griffiths.