A FITNESS instructor who crashed his car into a ditch and wall on his way to an early morning card game had left the scene when police arrived, a court was told.

Magistrates heard how Nicholas Lowe, 24, had played football for local side Harlow Hill FC before returning to his home in Torrs Road, Harrogate, and falling asleep while watching a televised football match after drinking "a couple of shandies".

He had then got behind the wheel of his silver Peugeot 306 and crashed it on the A59 Skipton Road.

When Lowe pleaded guilty to careless driving and failing to report an accident, prosecutor Alison Whiteley, who dropped a failing-to-stop charge, said he had been seen by police about ten hours after the accident.

In mitigation, Geoffrey Rogers said Lowe, a fitness manager at a Harrogate Gym and Squash Club, had fallen asleep in front of the TV after playing football.

When he woke up, he decided to seek out friends from the football club he knew were playing cards into the early morning.

His car's brakes locked as he made a right turn, but he accepted he had probably gone into the manoeuvre too fast in slippery conditions.

Mr Rogers said Lowe had then walked home, not knowing he was legally obliged to report the accident.

Lowe was fined a total of £260 with £50 costs and five penalty points