A 20-year-old man who took his friend's car and crashed it after drinking had since taken out a bank loan to pay for the damage.

Blackburn magistrates heard that former soldier Carl Ross Sears was found hiding near the damaged car.

But Basharat Ditta, defending, said his client had since faced up to his responsibilities.

Sears, of Weasel Lane, Tockholes, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol and without insurance, failing to stop after an accident and taking a car without consent. He was fined a total of £150 with £55 costs and disqualified from driving for two years.

The court heard that Sears had taken a VW Golf belonging to Mr Ali Shigri and later crashed into a van parked in High Street, Belmont. Mr Ditta said £7,000 damage was caused to Mr Shigri's vehicle and £900 to the van.