A JOBLESS American's fear of needles brought him a roads ban yesterday after police received a tip-off about his poor driving.

Richard Hattaway's J-registered BMW was stopped in Lands Lane, Knaresborough, after police patrolling Knares-borough Road, Harrogate, were alerted by another motorist, Peter Scott, prosecuting, told the town's magistrates.

Hattaway, 48, who had been out drinking with a friend, pleaded guilty to failing to provide a breath test and was banned from driving for a year, fined £350 and ordered to pay £125 costs.

In mitigation, Geoffrey Rogers said Hattaway, of Appleby Crescent, Scotton, near Knaresborough, had been driving for 32 years with no blemish other than a speeding ticket when he was 16.

He had come to England with his wife and two of their three children when she was sent to be a manager for a company with headquarters in their native US.

Hattaway had been working as an assembly line operator, but quit last Friday knowing he would be banned from driving. It was possible the family would go back to US as his wife was pregnant again.

Mr Rogers said when Hattaway was taken to Harrogate police station the breath test machine would not work. He had been asked to take a blood test but declined because of a fear of needles.

When the breath equipment was back in operation he would not use it as he had been made to feel uncomfortable