A SERIES of drivers who used drugs before getting behind the wheel have been banned from the roads by Bolton magistrates.

"These are very serious offences," commented magistrate Peter Jones.

"We can't have people driving whilst under the influence of drugs and endangering pedestrians and other road users."

Yesterday, at Bolton Magistrates' Court, four men admitted using drugs ranging from cannabis to cocaine before getting into vehicles and driving.

In each of the separate incidents they were stopped by police.

Hamza Akhtar, aged 24, had already notched up a previous driving ban for drug driving when an Audi A4 he was using on Bolton Road was stopped by police on January 31.

"As they spoke to him they became suspicious that he was under the influence of drugs," said Gemma Zakrzewski, prosecuting. A blood test confirmed it.

Akhtar, of Third Avenue, Bolton, pleaded guilty to drug driving, driving whist banned and having no insurance.

Peter Leather, defending, described the depot worker as "a naive and immature young man with regard to motoring matters."

He added that he had taken cocaine at a party the night before and then, feeling unwell, had borrowed his cousin's hired Audi to drive two miles home when he was stopped.

Describing him as "very lucky" to avoid an immediate jail term, magistrates sentenced him to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months and made him subject to a 7.30pm to 6am curfew. He was banned from applying for a licence for three years.

A two year driving ban was handed to Scott Hughes, aged 30, of Levens Drive, Bolton, after he used cannabis and failed to stop his Audi S3 on Moor Lane for police on October 25 last year. He was also fined £200.

Miss Zakrzewski told how, when he saw police, Hughes veered into approaching traffic and accelerated away before eventually stopping.

Hughes pleaded guilty to committing the offences and Suzanne Ludlow, defending, told how his family are going to be badly affected by the driving ban as Hughes is his disabled father's full time carer.

Harris Garrigan, aged 22, of Manchester Road West, Little Hulton, had also been using cannabis when he drove a Ford Focus on George Street, Bolton, on January 31.

Garrigan admitted committing the offence and having no licence or insurance.

The Bolton News:

He had been spotted pulling out a junction at speed and admitted he had smoked cannabis a couple of hours earlier. He was banned from driving for 14 months and fined £120.

Safraz Ahmed, aged 40, of Campbell Street, Farnworth, will be sentenced at a later date after he admitted driving a Citroen Berlingo on Egerton Street, Bolton on February 11 after using cocaine and cannabis.

The court heard he was seen pulling out in front of a motorbike, forcing it to take evasive action. The day after the offence he was also convicted of a previous drug driving crime.