DISQUALIFIED driver William Hitchin was caught after being pulled over in a routine police check, a court heard.

Bury magistrates were told that the 31-year-old was travelling along the M60 at Whitefield when he was ordered to pull over by a patrolling police officer.

Computer checks were then carried out and it was discovered that Hitchin, from Grasmere Avenue, Ainsworth, was the subject of a driving ban which still had two more months to run.

The court was told that he had a previous conviction for disqualified driving back in 1997 and in March this year had been further banned for four months for another identical offence.

Hitchin, who pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and having no insurance, had nothing to say in his defence. However, a pre-sentence report suggested that the reason he had driven was because a friend had been taken ill.

He was put on probation for 12 months and also ordered to attend a disqualified drivers' programme. In addition there were court costs of £55.