A MILKMAN who supplied cannabis to elderly customers with their daily pint has been caught driving his delivery van whilst banned.

Robert Holding, 72, was arrested in the early hours of Friday just over a week after he had been ordered off the road.

Holding is facing a possible jail term for selling drugs to customers to help ease their aches and pains.

He could have ended up behind bars on Friday but was spared by Burnley Magistrates.

The defendant’s vehicle was found to be uninsured when he was arrested over the drugs offences and on January 21 he was banned for six months under the totting up procedure.

Holding, of Fairview Road, Burnley, admitted disqualified driving and no insurance.

He was banned for 12 months, ordered to pay £50 costs and given a four month curfew, between 10pm and 8am, seven days a week.

The bench chairman told him: “That’s only to make sure you don’t feel like going out and delivering milk again.”

He added Holding could have caused harm to other road users and went on: “If you had not pleaded guilty you would have gone to prison for 12 weeks.”

The court was told Holding was spotted behind the wheel in Todmorden Road, Worsthorne, at 2.30am.

Prosecutor Carl Gaffney said the defendant had gained some “notoriety” over the cannabis case.

The defendant, on bail to the crown court, had owned up in full.