A LOCKDOWN breaker who drove from Kent to Llanfair Caereinion because he and his partner wanted to visit a North Wales beach has been banned from the roads as he was drug driving at the time.

Dipesh Limbu, 29, of Bedgebury Close, Maidstone, Kent, pleaded guilty to possession of a Class B drug and being over the drug-drive limit, when he appeared at Welshpool Magistrates Court via video-link.

Helen Tench, prosecuting, said Limbu was found parked in a lay-by on New Road at around 2.30am on July 19 and officers went over to check on him.

There was a strong smell of cannabis and a bag of the Class B drug was found in the vehicle, which had a street value of around £20.

There was a positive roadside drug swipe and Limbu was found to have 3.6 microgrammes of cannabis in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is two microgrammes.

Limbu told police he had arrived only minutes before they did, and that he smoked in the car because it was the only private place in which he was able to.

He confirmed he intended to smoke the cannabis, and that he was not going to give it to anyone else. He added that after coming home from work his wife had wanted to visit a beach so they chose to drive to North Wales.

Limbu, a self-employed labourer, representing himself, said he agreed entirely with everything the prosecution has said.

"Everything's true, I apologise for what I've done", he said.

Chair of the magistrates bench Nerys Jones banned Limbu from driving for 12 months.

He was fined £120 for drug driving, and £80 for being in possession of drugs. He will also pay £85 costs and a £34 victim surcharge.