A police patrol which went after a moped rider who had overtaken a car at speed on a main road found the young man smelling of intoxicants, a court heard.

Daniel Scott, 18, was marginally over the limit and was invited to give a blood sample which showed the narrowest of margins of excess alcohol in his blood.

Nevertheless, Bury magi-strates stated that the law is strict in this respect and a prosecution inevitable, then banned Scott from driving for twelve months.

Scott, of Derby Street, Ramsbottom, admitted riding a moped with excess alcohol in Walmersley Road, Bury. He was also fined £90 and ordered to pay £45 court costs. Miss Jacqueline Stott, prose-cuting, said in the early hours two officers travelling on Walmersley Road towards Ramsbottom saw Scott on a moped coming the other way and overtaking a car at speed.

Scott also went through signals on red. The officers turned their vehicle around and eventually stopped him further down the road.

The officers approached Scott and detected alcohol on his breath. A breath test proved positive.

A later blood test showed 82 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood compared with the legal level of 80 in 100.