A MOTORCYCLIST who passed a police station breath test admitted he had taken cocaine earlier.

Blackburn magistrates heard a blood test showed Aaron Sean McNeill was over the limit for benzoylecgonine, the metabolite of cocaine.

McNeill, 22, of Arthur Street, Clayton-le-Moors, pleaded guilty to drug driving. He was fined £196 with £85 costs and £34 victim surcharge and banned from driving for 12 months.

Wakkas Javed, prosecuting, said police attention was drawn to the motorcycle ridden by McNeill because it was weaving around the road.

He gave a roadside alcohol reading of 40 against the limit of 35 but at the station the reading was 35.

“The officer was of the opinion he was under the influence of something and the defendant confirmed he had taken cocaine,” said Mr Javed.

He said McNeill had no previous convictions.

Aftab Bakhat, defending, said at the time of the offence in June his client was suffering from depression and there were problems in his home life.

“He was essentially self-medicating with cocaine which he now knows was entirely wrong.”