A driver claimed he was over the cannabis limit because his passengers had been smoking the drug after being stopped by police.

Blackburn Magistrates' Court heard several men ran from the car - a BMW 3 Series - before Mohammed Hasan eventually stopped.

Hasan, 22, of Newport Street, Nelson, pleaded guilty to drug driving.

He was fined £112 with £85 costs and £44 victim surcharge and banned from driving for 12 months.

The court heard Hasan had 6.6 micrograms of cannabis per litre of blood compared to the limit of 2mcg when stopped by police on April 13.

Usma Kauser, prosecuting, said officers noticed the BMW being driven erratically by Hasan.

The car stopped briefly and some of the occupants ran off before the vehicle eventually came to a halt in Regent Street, Nelson.

"They spoke to the defendant and noticed he smelled heavily of cannabis," said Miss Kauser.

David Lawson, mitigating, said the people who fled from the vehicle were the ones who had been smoking cannabis.

"My client wasn't smoking cannabis but the others were and he has passively inhaled cannabis while driving," said Mr Lawson.

"He doesn't accept he was driving erratically," he added.