A DRIVER stopped after police believed they had witnesses a drug deal admitted he had a quantity of cocaine in his pocket which he had just purchased.

Blackburn magistrates heard Imran Waka also failed a roadside drug swipe.

Waka, 36, of Marsh Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to driving while over the limit for cocaine and its derivative benzoylecgonine. He was fined £400 with £85 costs and £40 victim surcharge. Waka gave a cocaine reading of 41 against the legal limit of 10 and 112 of benzoylecgonine against the legal limit of 50.

Scott Parker, prosecuting, said a police patrol was notified of a Mercedes Vito van which other officers believed had just been involved in a drug transaction.

They stopped the van, driven by Waka, and he immediately admitted he had some cocaine in his pocket and that he had just made a purchase.

"His pupils were large and fixed and the officers suspected he was under the influence of drugs," said Mr Parker.

Carl Millar, defending, said his client had first used cocaine when he was at university but had stopped and had only used recently because of problems in his home life.

He said Waka worked as a kitchen and bedroom fitter.

"He is a hard working young man who feels he has let his family down," said Mr Millar.